Goal Setting

It does not seem that goal setting should be complicated, but how often have you said you would achieve something...especially in the area of health and fitness...and then are frustrated with your lack of success? I've set the goal of "losing weight" for years and years and today, I still stand more than 100 lbs overweight. Last year, something changed for me in my goal setting. I stopped telling myself that I needed to "lose 100 lbs". Sure, I still need to accomplish that, but that goal is a long term goal that needs some short term, more specific steps if I really want to see success.

So here is my strategy. Set time-sensitive, short term, very specific goals that work toward the ultimate goal.

I don't want to just lose weight. I also want to be healthier. I know normal weight persons who are very unhealthy. So my time-sensitive, short term, specific goals are geared toward overall health improvement.

Here are my "draft" goals for the GOING BACK TO BOOTCAMP - PHASE ONE:

1) Complete the transition to doctor recommended diet by eliminating yeast, wheat, and altered foods and planning family menu around whole, organic, natural foods.

2) Exercise 30 minutes daily via gym, walking the dogs, Wii Fit routine or home exercise video.

3) Connect weekly with accountability partner.

I may modify these goals once I complete the PFT on January 2nd. I haven't exercised much due to some health complications, so I will have to take that into consideration when planning for exercise. The diet changes have been ongoing (see my personal post), so this is just the next phase for me.

However, I want you to notice that my goals are specific, timed, and all aid in the successful achievement of my ultimate goals of weight loss and being healthier. Additionally, these goals are specific to where I am in this journey. I started over a year ago making changes to my diet and exercise habits. I have had a complete physical and am under the care of a doctor; I suggest each of you participating do the same.

Set SMART GOALS:

S Specific
M Measurable
A Attainable
R Relevant
T Time-bound

http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

Examples of goals to set for the 13 week bootcamp:

Make an appointment for a complete physical exam next week.

Exercise ___ minutes each day.

Drink recommended amount of water each day.

Set aside ___ minutes for quiet relaxation each day.

Decrease my mile run time by ____ minutes.

Eat ___ servings of fruit/veggies each day.

Stop eating fast food.

Take ___ minute walks ___ each week.

Strength train ____ times per week.

Take a group fitness class at my gym ___ times per week.

These are just a few examples to get you thinking about your goals and how you plan to get there. Lots of links will be posted to our Facebook Event Page. So stayed tuned both here and there for valuable resources.

RECOMMENDED BOOK: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey