5 Tips for Setting Goals

Whether you want to get into fitness or start a new diet, setting goals can be difficult. It’s easy to get carried away with ideas of grandeur making them unattainable. Follow these tips to stay on track when setting up goals!

1: Be Specific

When you’re setting goals, it’s important to be as specific as possible. If your goals are too vague, they’re going to be difficult to measure and achieve. For example, if you’re setting a fitness goal, “I want to get fit this year” is too vague. Try something like “I will go to the gym twice a week.” That way, you know what to expect of yourself.

2: Break Your Goal Into Sub-Goals

If you’re setting long term goals, a good rule of thumb is to break them into smaller steps to make them attainable. In fact, a study at Stanford showed that achievable sub-goals kept participants motivated to complete their final goal.

Let’s say your goal is to run a 5K this year. If you don’t run regularly, you aren’t going to be able to do this overnight. Break the goal down into smaller steps, such as running a mile without stopping. Increase your speed every time to make progress.

3: Set a Realistic Timeline

One thing to always remember when setting goals is to be realistic. Without a timeline, you won’t be able to track your progress. How will you know when you’re going to achieve your goal? Let’s think back to the 5K example again. Make sure that goal is attainable such as running a 5K in 8 weeks from the time you set the goal.

4: Keep a Progress Journal

We love a good journal moment. Keeping a journal of your goal progress will hold you accountable. It’s also a great place to brainstorm goals when you’re setting them! When you find yourself losing motivation, taking a look back at your journal will show you how far you’ve come! It can also come in handy when you’re setting new goals to see what you’ve already done, and how to plan for the future.

5: Create a Rewards System

When you feel yourself starting to slip, a little treat can keep you going. Creating a rewards system may sound silly, but it works. When you hit the halfway mark on your 5K running goal, take yourself out to dinner and a movie. On a smaller scale, let yourself have a delicious snack after a workout. Doing something for yourself will motivate you to stay on track and finish your goal!

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that setting goals you can’t achieve isn’t going to work. Make sure that they’re realistic, you track your progress and treat yourself along the way.