5 practical tips that will help you reach your fitness goals

This article was originally written by Lystia and published on bookculinaryvacations.com. In the following paragraphs, you will find practical tips for achieving your goals based on her and my experience. It is all about a clear vision and plan.

What is your next goal in fitness? A black belt? Dominating the local Ultimate fighting scene? Put on 15 kg of muscle? Losing 10 kg so that people can see your abs? Whatever your goals are, it is very likely that you set some. Often we fall short of the expectations that we set for ourselves. But not this time. We are here to help you succeed this time around. Out with skepticism and cynism, in with a positive attitude to get things done.

The university of Scranton has done some research on goal setting in 2014. Based on this only 8% of Americans feel like they have succeeded with their New Years resolutions. Here are the top New Years Resolutions according to the paper ranked from most to least mentioned. Maybe you get inspired:

Lose Weight / Healthier Eating
Life / Self improvements
Better Financial decisions
Quit smoking
Do more exciting things
Spend more time with family / close friends
Work out more often
Learn something new on my own
Do more good deeds for others
Find the love of my life
Find a better job

If you see something on this list you always wanted to do but failed, do not worry, you are not alone.

To reach your goals it is important to have strategies and plans to achieve them. Prepare for tough times. Now, what distracts you the most. Define what success means to you and what impact it has on your life. Here are some useful tips on how to achieve your goals:

Make time for yourself

Image credit: SharingHappyness.com

Old habits die hard. Creating a faster, stronger, more focused version of yourself is no piece of cake. Anyone who tried to form better habits knows that it takes immense willpower and discipline. IT is crucial to be 100% committed and willing to change.

It is easier to achieve when you put yourself first. Get rid of the things you do to please others and get more on the list to develop yourself. This will seem selfish at first. The more success you have, the happier you will be. This, in turn, will give you more power and balance to help the ones around you. If you put them always first they will only ask for more and never be satisfied.

For me, this meant to get up in the mornings and spent time meditating and training my brain. I use the Headspace app for mindfulness and Peak for brain training. This is time which is dedicated to improving myself. It sets me up for success for the rest of the day.

Set fewer goals and stay focused

Focus is a key component to getting things done. If your efforts are scattered throughout 100 different goals it is very likely that you will achieve none of them. This is where many people struggle. Rather than having 100 goals and achieve none of them set yourself 3 - 5 goals and achieve all of them.

The first step is to get everything you want in life on a piece of paper. After you have done this find out which goals interrelate. Running faster, lifting stronger and thinking deeper is the motto of this website. All three goals are related to health and fitness. So this is one group for me.

After you have found all of the relevant goals and grouped them it is time to prioritize. What is most, second and least important. Stick with the top three and get rid of the rest.

For the remaining goals make a day by day plan about how you achieve them. This will help you to form habits that support your goals.

I personally use the best self-journal to keep track of my goals and stay positive in the process. This is the only journal I have been using for years. The others usually land on a shelf to be never used again.

Once you are tracking and keeping notes analyze how far you have come. Are you stagnating? If so, why? What do you need to move forward? This is how my wife and I solved a major financial crisis in our lives to then move on to fulfill our dream of getting married abroad and moving out of our home country.

The last thing to note is flexibility. There will be setbacks and shocks to the system. There will also come better opportunities around to pursue. Allow yourself some flexibility to deviate from plans to refresh and rethink.

Visualise yourself achieving the goal

Image credit: Sean Fagan

Having a vision is key to stay motivated. If you want to be a successful boxer in 12 months time envision yourself in the ring. See yourself knocking out your opponent. Think about how often you have to practice that jab. Think about each step you will take in the ring to position yourself for the knockout. How many rounds it will take.

It all starts in your head. What you can dream you can achieve. Visualisation is used by successful athletes and entrepreneurs all over the world. Your vision will make you smile and push on when things get hard. It helps to show you when you have arrived.

Visualise every milestone you have to achieve on the way. Finding the right gym to train. Finding the right strength coach. Finding the right mental coach. Getting up in the morning before work to do your run. Getting your first date for a fight. These details will matter. The more detailed your vision the more likely it will become that you will achieve it.

You have to feel enthusiastic about achieving your vision to get there.

Break down your goals into little chunks

Becoming a millionaire is a goal many people have. The thing is that most people who read this article are already millionaires without even knowing it.

If you convert the worth of everything you have into a different currency it is very likely that you already have a million in something. This is why I personally prefer to plan my visions around real-life achievements like having a house or eating a good piece of steak.

Having a million also sounds like an insurmountable task. Therefore, if we are talking US Dollars or Euros, break this goal down in smaller chunks.

One million of something means

100.000 of savings a year for ten years
8.333 of savings a month for ten years
2.083 of savings a month per head for ten years in a household of four
520 a week per head in a household of four for ten years

The million seems like a goal from the moon. 520 a week a head for the next ten years for four people looks a lot more achievable. And it is because it has just become actionable. Dream big and break it down. Dare to do the impossible and you may not end up with the million. But if your dream is a house... well some can be had for 250.000€.

If you divide 520 by 4 that means four people have to save 130€ a month to a shared account for ten years and the next generation has a house to live in.

This is a technique I used to finance our wedding in Malta. It was completely over the top and worth it.

Reflect on your goals with as many people as possible

Ladies trying to reach their fitness goals

Image credit: MaximiseFitness.com.au

Find as many people as possible you trust and share your goals with them. Discussing your goals with others will make you see the holes in the plot. It will also help you to celebrate little successes with others. The road to your dreams is not easy. Get all the help you can.

It is much more fun to talk with others about your project. Make it a little session on the weekend to chat about it. Jot down the ideas others have. You may even find some helpers.

The more diverse the group you share your ideas with, the more you can learn. It can be beneficial to interact outside of your direct family and work circle. Commonly these groups have shared beliefs and values. It will strengthen our goal set.

Pick the ones you share your goals with wisely. You want them to be supportive. Find the ones who keep your personal matters to themselves. If you find someone who can lift you up the ground and celberate your victories with you, even better.

An accountability buddy who goes through the motions with you is also helpful. Take care that you both have roughly the same starting point and goal. This makes it easier to motivate each other. If your goals and starting point are far apart you will feel overwhelmed or slowed down by your buddy. Pick the right fit for both of your needs.

Conclusion

Have a clear goal and plan towards it. Be flexible when you need and remember that life is a marathon, not a sprint. With this being said, enjoy your day. At the end get a piece of paper out and start planning.

Lystia is a contributing writer for BookMartialArts.com, the world's leading martial arts theme travel website. She's fascinated by all types of martial arts and can't get enough of martial arts moves both on screen & off.

5 practical tips that will help you reach your personal goals [Article]