It is the start of another brand new week. I love Monday’s! For me they are another chance to work towards my goals. I start afresh, work out what I want to achieve and get going.

Last week we focused on why it is important to love yourself exactly as you are and now you are in a positive place (or at least working towards it), we can think about what you want to work towards.

Why do you need goals?

Loving yourself exactly as you are now is important. However, the aim of the game is to always want to be the best possible version of you. If you have things that you want to achieve then you’ll never get bored and complacent. No one is perfect (and no one will ever be perfect) but each day aim to be better than the day before.

The way to do this is to have goals. Goals give you focus and give you drive. Without goals you just drift aimlessly through life, not really sure what you want to achieve or how you’ll do it.

Your goals should be things that fill your belly with fire and give you that burst of adrenaline when you think about how good it will feel to achieve them. Goals make the seemingly impossible, possible. This is one of my favourite quotes:

How to do it…

This process is all about being positive. If you are feeling good now then your next steps will feel exciting rather than daunting. So let’s do this!

Step 1: Dream big

This is the part you can let your imagination run wild (well to a point). What would you like your life to look like this time next year? Remember, goals have got to be things that are in your control…saying you are going to win the lottery and be a millionaire is (unfortunately) not realistic. But you can control your health, fitness levels, diet, career, etc. At this point it is good to have 2 or 3 fairly big goals. Try not to make them all about weight loss…instead think about things outside your comfort zone. What new skills could you learn, could you do some sort of fitness challenge like run a half marathon. Have a think and see what makes you feel excited.

Step 2: Where do you need to be in 6 months? 

Dreaming big is fab and all part of the process but if you leave it there, I can guarantee none of the things you want to happen will happen. Why? Because they seem to far in the distance. Too big, too unachievable.

So now, you need to break it down a bit. You know where you want to end up eventually so how will you get there? If in a year you want to run a half marathon then where do you need to be in 6 months? Perhaps you need to be able to run 10km without stopping. If you want to learn to ski then in 6 months you will have needed to work on fitness levels and had beginner lessons. Planning and preparation is the key.

Step 3: Where do you need to be in 8 weeks? 

Of course, 6 months time will still feel pretty far away. However if you want to achieve your big goals then you can’t afford to wait. You need action now. Thinking about where you want to be in 8 weeks is a good amount of time.

It isn’t too long that it seems miles away (like the 6 months or the year goal) but it is long enough to really get going.

In 8 weeks you can create healthy habits that will set you up for success. So where do you want to be in 2 months time. To go back to the half marathon goal then you might want to be able to jog 5km in 8 weeks.  

Then (and this is probably the most important step of all) what can you do THIS week (NOW!!) to make this happen? 

No delaying. No more deciding to start next week or next month. This is all about NOW. TODAY.

Top tips to achieving your goals:

1. Buy a lovely journal just for tracking your goals and your progress towards them (who doesn’t love a bit of stationary?!)
2. Each week reflect and celebrate the progress you’ve made and set new targets for the following week that will take you closer to your ‘big’ goal.
3. Set small achievable goals. If you are looking to improve fitness. Start by committing to 2 exercise sessions each week. Tick them off each week and then when it has become habit, try adding in another one. Success is addictive, failure isn’t so make sure each target is realistic and something you can complete.
4. Share your goals/ targets each week with others so you’re accountable. If you are exercising, do it with friends so you can’t back out! If you want to eat more fruit/ veg, write up your weekly target and stick it on the fridge. Give yourself a little tick when you manage it and at the end of the week celebrate those ticks!
5. Keep going, keep adapting and stay motivated. If a goal or target isn’t filling you with excitement, change it. You need something that fires you up otherwise it won’t seem important enough. Try not to switch between goals too much but adapt if you need to and as you reach one goal set a new one. Keep progressing!
6. Get help! If you are still feeling a bit overwhelmed by goal setting but know you want to improve your fitness levels, get healthy and lose weight then one thing you can most definitely do today to guarantee success is sign up to my 8 week online Kickstart Programme. Click here for all the info but with my help and support, the sky really is the limit!