Setting Goals

"The person with a fixed goal, a clear picture of his desire, or an ideal always before him, causes it, through repetition, to be buried deeply in his subconscious mind and is thus enabled, thanks to its generative and sustaining power, to realize his goal in a minimum of time and with a minimum of physical effort. Just pursue the thought unceasingly. Step by step you will achieve realization, for all your faculties and powers become directed to that end." ~Claude M. Bristol

Without setting goals, it will be hard to achieve what you want. The first step is to realize what it is you want, put it in writing, and hold yourself accountable. When you have stated goals, they will stick in your mind so that each day you can strive to achieve that goal. What are your fitness goals this year? Instead of making general statements like "I want to look good in a bikini by spring break" or "I want to lose weight"...make SPECIFIC goals for yourself. Need to be in a bikini in March? Set a goal of going to the gym 5 days a week and eating 50 percent more vegetables everyday. Want to lose weight? Maybe set a goal of losing 4-8 pounds a month, depending on how much you have to lose. (Losing 1-2 lbs a week is generally considered safe--anything more is not healthy and will be very difficult to maintain, as it's usually just water or muscle mass). I'm announcing my goals this year so that everyone can hold me accountable! This year I'd like to be able to jump into handstand from downward dog, do a pike press handstand, be able to do a strict pull up without a band, and do ring dips without a band. I'd also like to run a sub 30 minute 5k (I really suck hard at running) and cook at least one new meal a week. Lots of goals--some much easier than others. It's going to be very difficult for me to be able to do a strict pull up without a band, but I'm giving myself 12 months to achieve this goal. Even if it's something I'm never able to actually do, all the hard work and determination that is going to go into making that goal happen will be an achievement itself. So write down your goals, and keep them somewhere you can see them all the time! And remember, you will get nowhere without working hard. Good luck everyone!