Ready, Set, Goal!

By nature, I am a goal-oriented person who thrives on competition. I usually know what I want, I will relentlessly pursue it and I want to be the very best.  Sometimes, my competitive nature cost me things I later regretted losing, like friendships. Other times, it propelled me higher than I ever would have flown on my own. But, I digress....I knew what I wanted out of this journey and even had someone to compete with: The old me. I also knew I could be better than her so it was time to set my goals. Some interesting facts to consider as you set yours: People who write down their goals and look at them daily are 85% more likely to achieve them. If you really want to go all out, you can carry around another copy in your pocket and have a 95% success rate. I wasn't quite seeking nerd status yet, so I wrote down my goals and pinned them on my cork board by my computer. I read them everyday, usually more than once, and it kept me honest about what I was doing.

STEP ONE: SET YOUR GOALS
The first step is to decide what YOU want. I cannot emphasize this enough: It must be what you want, not what anyone else says you could or should do or what they want for you. Goals only work if they come from your heart because only you will have the motivation to complete them. First, set an ultimate goal and then break it down into smaller goals. When I began my journey, my ultimate goal was to look better in a swim suit than I ever had by the end of March. Now that I had set my goal, I just had to work backwards. I started formulating my plan by setting smaller goals: Be at the gym 5 times a week for cardio and weight training and clean up my diet. I broke it down even further: Plan training splits and menus weekly and research reference materials online two evenings a week to keep training and menu ideas fresh. Then, even more: Set alarm for 4 AM to arrive at the gym by 4:20 AM, prepare gym bag, gym clothes and pack the next day's meals the night before.  This may sound like overkill but it gave me a routine, which was what I needed. You may be thinking "Carrie, I don't even know what my goals are, I just want to get out of bed in the morning to get to the gym." Good! Write that down as your first goal with a wake-up and arrival time. I am not kidding. Now, it is your turn: Choose an ultimate goal and smaller goals to strive for in a realistic time frame, like 90 days. There are no quick fixes or fad diets that will give you sustainable results; you must be consistent in doing this the right way because it is a lifestyle transformation.

STEP TWO: SET YOUR REWARDS
To be honest, this is my favorite part because I want to know what I get when I hit every milestone. Let me make a suggestion: DO NOT use food as a reward. Part of this process is building a new and healthier relationship with food so don't revert to using it as comfort even for celebration. Instead, pick something that really is a treat! For me, if I stuck to my schedule and meal plan for a month, I could get a massage. I even scheduled it way ahead of time so I could look forward to it! I don't think I had ever felt like I earned something more! Eventually, I did splurge on a nice bathing suit but most of my rewards were $50 or less. Of course, the biggest reward was watching my body and life change. Whatever you choose, make sure it is motivational and rewarding to you. Have rewards for all your goals, small and large, so you can stay on track.

STEP THREE: MAKE YOUR PLAN YOUR REALITY
You have set your goals, chosen your rewards and now it is go time! To truly achieve, you must live and breathe your goals and they must be at the forefront of your thoughts and actions. Every choice you make will impact how your plan becomes a reality and only you can define that reality. Most days I was on target but there were some days when I fell off the wagon. This will be hard: You will be tired, hungry and discouraged at times but you will also discover a strength you never knew you had, a sense of accomplishment for a job well done and the comfort you can only find in your own skin.  You will want to give up, but ultimately you won't and you will succeed. And once you do succeed, it is time to set new goals because without them you will flounder and stagnate.

STEP FOUR: REPEAT
My goals continue to grow and evolve, just like I do. Yours will too. Some of my goals are small like one more rep of an exercise at a higher weight or making the right meal choice even when I would rather not. Others are larger,  and they all lead to my ultimate goal. Yes, I went through the process, have my goals written down, my plan to achieve them and they are pinned on my cork board. Remember, goals are just that: Goals. Set yours high because even if you fall short, you will have achieved more than you ever imagined possible.

Set your goals, execute your plan and don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. Until next time, be your best self everyday and keep it Fit with Attitude!

XOXO,

Carrie