When you got started in your personal fitness journey, you likely started out with high hopes and a ton of motivation. You set goals, measure your progress, and you get familiar with faces at your gym.Â
That’s as far as many people get in their training. Whether it takes a week, a month, or several months, many who start often lose motivation quickly. Suddenly, that new pair of training shoes finds its way to the back of your closet.
Embarking on a fitness journey can be exciting and empowering, but maintaining motivation over the long haul can be challenging. Whether you’re striving to reach specific fitness goals or simply aiming for a healthier lifestyle, staying motivated is key.
No matter what “simple tricks” you hear about on social media, the truth is that staying fit is hard. There are many ways to keep your motivation going. The first and foremost tactic is to set worthwhile goals to work towards. Setting fitness goals is more than just deciding what you want, it’s about making a strategy to get there.
Set Clear and Realistic Goals
If you don’t know what your objective is, how do you know you’re making progress?
It’s important to clearly define what you want to achieve, whether it’s losing a certain amount of weight, running a marathon, or improving your strength. Some examples of goals include:
- Lose 15 pounds within the next three months.
- Run a mile in under 5:30.00.
- Increase squat from 100 lb. to 150 lb.
It can be hard to stay motivated if you aren’t seeing results right away. Most of us progress slowly enough that the improvement is difficult to notice without real measurement. Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable milestones.
Celebrating these smaller achievements along the way will provide a sense of progress and motivation. Remember to set realistic expectations based on your current fitness level and lifestyle commitments. Unrealistic goals can lead to frustration and eventually giving up.
SMART Goals
The most effective and popular form of goal-setting is SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This form of goal-setting strategizes your motivation and provides the ultimate roadmap towards making real progress towards your goals.
Remember the three examples of goals from before? Let’s break those down as SMART goals and see how much more clarity you can have in working towards them:
1. Lose 15 pounds within the next three months.
- Specific: The goal specifies the desired outcome, which is to lose 15 pounds.
- Measurable: The goal can be measured by tracking weight loss progress.
- Achievable: Losing 15 pounds in three months is a realistic and attainable target.
- Relevant: The goal aligns with the objective of achieving weight loss.
- Time-bound: The goal has a specific timeframe of three months.
2. Run a mile in under 5:30.00.
- Specific: The goal specifies the desired outcome, which is to run a mile in under 5 minutes and 30 seconds.
- Measurable: The goal can be measured by timing the mile run.
- Achievable: With consistent training and practice, improving mile time to under 5:30.00 is attainable.
- Relevant: The goal aligns with the objective of improving running performance.
- Time-bound: The goal does not have a specific timeframe. Consider adding a specific deadline, such as “within the next three months,” to make it more pertinent to your pace.​
3. Increase squat from 100 lb. to 150 lb.
- Specific: The goal specifies the desired outcome, which is to increase the squat weight from 100 lb. to 150 lb.
- Measurable: The goal can be measured by tracking the weight lifted during squats.
- Achievable: Increasing the squat weight by 50 lb. is realistic with consistent strength training and progression.
- Relevant: The goal aligns with the objective of improving lower body strength.
- Time-bound: The goal does not have a specific timeframe. Consider adding a specific deadline, such as “within six months,” to make it time-bound.​
Wrap It Up
Goal-setting is essential to progression in personal fitness. Therefore, how you approach your goal-setting can ultimately determine the quality and commitment of your fitness routine. SMART goals are the best way to give yourself a clear picture of where you want to be in the short and long-term future.
Not only will your goals help you stay motivated on your fitness journey, effectively goal-setting and tracking will give you more purpose along the way.
Follow our blog and check in each Monday for more tips on staying motivated. We’ll be cheering you on to hit your next benchmark!
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