Whether it’s weight loss, fitness, career, or life goals, you can’t achieve success if you’re not moving toward something. The key is to take some time strategizing. Think about your ultimate long-term goal and break it down into less overwhelming mini-goals. Then find some incentives to help you stay the course. What kinds of goals are we talking about? The ambitious and attainable ones.
First: Think long and hard about what you want. Make sure your goals are actually things you want to achieve, not what society dictates or what your family or friends want for you. Ultimately your life is yours and you must live it for yourself. We know you might be thinking that’s selfish, but so what? Sometimes being a little selfish is a good thing, especially if it enables you to take care of yourself.
Second: Remember, goals are not inflexible roadblocks meant to make you feel badly about yourself. If you don’t accomplish a goal exactly on schedule, so what? You can’t predict what life is going to throw your way — but you CAN choose the way you react to situations that come up. That is where your power lies. If you fall off the wagon, just get back on — no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Third: We all have to be realistic when we set our goals. We are now both in our early 60′s and not likely to be elite athletes, no matter how hard we work. We set goals that are realistic and productive for us. We might not be elite athletes, but we can share with our members how to be healthier and happier through fitness based on our personal experiences.
Make sense? The bottom line is that goals provide direction. They help bring a focus to our lives so that we can live our dreams — no matter how big or how small they may be.
Alan and Bonnie Cashman
Co- Founders LAB5 Fitness