By Lisa Grellinger
It’s that time of year again, “New Year, New me!” While some of us roll our eyes at this, for others this really is a clean slate and a new launching pad to start working towards achieving goals. Many of us set goals in the realm of nutrition and fitness, ie: “lose 10lbs,” “gain more muscle,” “add 20lbs to my back squat,” etc. These are all great goals that we are here to help you achieve! Here are a few quick tips on setting yourself up for success with regards to these goals:
- Make “SMART” goals. This is an acronym that serves as a guide for setting goals. They should be S-Specific (ie: “train 3 days a week” vs “go to the gym”) M- Measureable (ie:“lose 5% body fat” vs “lose weight”) A- Attainable (ie: “add 5lbs to my snatch PR” vs “add 500lbs to my snatch PR”) R- Realistic (ie: “eat a cleaner and healthier diet” vs “never eating another carb ever again!”) T- Timely (ie: “by July 1st/within 3months/ etc.” vs “eventually”).
- Be Accountable. Share your goals with your fellow athletes, a coach, family, and/or friends. Having others to motivate you and hold you accountable along the way make you much more likely to reach your goals! You can also hold yourself accountable in ways like keeping a food log and training log.
- Be Mindful. Remind yourself of the reasons you want to achieve your goals. Do you want to improve your overall health? Maybe you want to compete? Or maybe you want to be on less medication. Keeping these motivators in mind help you to be mindful with your decisions. For example, “Am I really hungry, or am I just bored? If I eat all this candy will that help me achieve my goal, or set me back” “I really don’t feel like working out today, I’d rather go home and nap, but I also want to get off my blood pressure medicine…. I’ll go to the gym!”
Some of this might sound simple or cheesy, but it really works. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to! We believe in you! If you have any questions, or need some help and encouragement, please see a coach- we are here to help!
