goal setting or wishful thinking ?
January can be a time where everyone is setting good intentions for the year ahead, making promises they know they won’t keep, and setting standards for themselves that are downright ridiculous. Lose 10kg, stop smoking, drink less alcohol… Does this sound familiar? While these aren’t MY goals, I hear these outrageous phrases every time I turn on the TV, radio, social media, or just listen to people passing by.
If you think back over the last 5 years, have your New Year’s Resolutions all sounded the same? Do you set the same goals time and time again? If so, then maybe we need to re-think them, re-set them, and re-action them.
Re-Think, Re-Set, Re-Action
If you are constantly setting the same goals, then I would assume you aren’t really thinking about what you want to achieve. Perhaps you are getting influenced by others, by what society thinks is best for you, or by your own insecurities. If you are setting goals that are too far ahead of where you are today, you are more likely NOT to achieve them. Let’s try something a little different. Why don’t we start small, set smaller goals in a smaller time frame, and take things a little slower. Rather than losing 10kg in 8 weeks, let’s focus on losing 2kg in 4 weeks. Rather than quitting smoking cold turkey right now, let’s PLAN for it. Get all your resources and support systems in place, have a plan of attack, and set your intentions with your heart. If you really want something, then you’ll do it. But if you don’t really have a desire to quit smoking, or to lose weight, or to drink less, then you’re probably not going to take your goals seriously.
Do you really want it ?
Ask yourself if you really want it. If you plan to lose 10kg every year, but never make an action plan or put it in any effort, do you really want it? Perhaps your goals aren’t realistic. Perhaps you set your goals too high, and then get discouraged when you don’t reach them. Perhaps you’re setting goals without really wanting the outcome.
Do you actually want to run that marathon?
For example, you set a goal to run a marathon. Do you actually want to run a marathon, or do you just want to start running on a consistent basis for other reasons, and feel like a marathon is a good goal? Rather than your marathon goal (which is literally a marathon in itself!), perhaps give yourself a weekly or monthly goal for kilometres to run. For me, my goal with running is to stay fit and keep my body fat at a healthy level. For these reasons, I prefer to create a consistent habit of weekly “short” runs, where I get myself into a consistent routine of 2-3 runs per week, with short distances of 3-4km. Sometimes this is a shorter 2-2.5km run with a walk included, and sometimes I go for 5km. I’m not too hard on myself because my goal is to run consistently within a distance that I enjoy, with my long-term goal to keeping my body fat at a healthy level. I don’t want to run a marathon, or half marathon, or a 10km run. I don’t enjoy that, so setting that as a goal will dampen my motivation. I know I will loathe the training and create negative emotions towards running. I will make myself feel bad whenever I don’t run a certain distance, or if I struggle during a particular run. But I don’t need long runs to achieve my goals, so why should I put that pressure on myself? Short distance runs help keep me fit, they are attainable for me, and I actually ENJOY them. I am not a runner by nature, and these shorter runs empower me to feel fit, energised, and most importantly, confident.
wishful thinking
Sometimes we set goals based on what we think we need to achieve, without actually thinking about it. It is important to plan long-term, and focus on what is important to you, your health, and your future. If something is truly important, than make a plan of action. Perhaps your goal is to save money, or visit your parents more often, or make more meals at home. Perhaps you want to start volunteering, or donating back to the community. Whatever your goals are, keep them on your mind and remind yourself frequently of them. Don’t wait until December 31st to feel sorry for yourself, and when January rolls around you make this unrealistic list of all the things you want to do.
there are 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year
Why January? Why do we wait all year to set new goals? Why not every month, or every week ? Review your goals more frequently than just one day a year. Set goals for the week and for the month, and keep yourself accountable. Find ways to achieve these goals in small steps, and always make sure you are making progress. Keep yourself accountable on a weekly or monthly basis. For example, each Sunday think about what your goals are, and if you made any progress during the previous week to achieve those goals. If not, than ask yourself what can you adjust in your daily life to help make progress? If you made progress, then keep it up and give yourself the opportunity to continue on this track. If you go a couple of months with no progress, perhaps its time to ask for help, or reassess if your goals are YOUR goals. Maybe you’ve set goals that don’t truly reflect what YOU want. If you want to see changes, you need to make changes. Change happens in reaction to a new stimulus.
If you don’t change, you won’t change. Duh!
Better Posture. Better Life.
Need some motivation?
21-Day Challenge is here!
Join our 21-Day Challenge with a focus on achieving a healthy lifestyle through active living.
We want you to FEEL better!
Our first launch is starting June 8, 2020.
