As we are all finding our feet again after lockdown, it is worth revisiting goals, goal setting and how to create the perfect goal and plan to get you there.
We have all responded to lockdown differently, some have been really motivated. Some have reinvented themselves. And some have completely lost their mojo, and had zero motivation to do anything remotely healthy.
So now, is absolutely a perfect time, to sit back and have a think about what you might want to achieve over these next few weeks. Covid-19 has made us all realise that our health is paramount to us and those around us, and the healthier we are, the better.
Do you have a particular goal in mind that you would like to achieve? If you have – great! If not, we have some ideas for you later in this article.
Why set a goal?
The call to achieve a goal pulls you away from the normal grind to a journey filled with unknowns. Physical and mental training, self-improvement, highs and lows, growth in mind and body, challenges, encounters and hurdles, connection and loneliness, peaks and valleys. The road ahead of you when you set a goal, leads to battles royal with yourself and others. Whether you start your journey due to inspiration or desperation – you’ll be glad you did – because the person you become on the way to achieving your goal, and the sense of achievement at the end, can’t be bought! It is a mix of pure euphoria, pride and invincibility!!
Setting goals and writing them down is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. When a goal is written down, you are actually 50% more likely to achieve it! Goals ‘held’ in the mind are more likely to be jumbled up with the other 1500 thoughts per minute that the average human being experiences, which gives you less head space to focus on what is important to you, amidst paying the bills, getting the washing done, doing the weekly shop, ferrying the kids and other family members here, there and everywhere, etc etc – you know the drill!
All motivational ‘gurus’ agree that goals should be written down, because the act of writing down a goal is a very powerful motivator. Writing our goals down forces us to be avoid being vague, and actually clarify EXACTLY what we want to achieve.
SMART goals, that are Specific, Measureable, Acheivable, Realistic,and Time-bound work best. As this allows us to pin down exactly what we want to achieve, and by when.
What you get by achieving your goal, is not as important as what you become in the process. Because in the process of achieving your goal you must be prepared to make sacrifices and push your boundaries. The process of working towards your goal teaches you that you have got will power, you are resilient and you have got mental and emotional strength – that you can dig deep when you need to, to achieve what you really want.
Sharing your goals with a close friend is proven to increase the chances of you achieving your goal, so get yourself a buddy in this process – someone who wants the same thing, and you are prepared to call each other out when you are in danger of falling off the wagon. Not only will it make it more enjoyable, but you will 100% keep each other on track.
The key to achieving your goals
To ensure that you achieve your goal, you need to know what success looks like. Make your goal ‘smart!’ Is it specific? Can it be measured? Is it realistic? Is it time bound? Do you actually know what success looks like?
And the most important question – do you have a plan in place as to how you will achieve it?
Then you need to write it down! Record it in one of our goal setting sheets, and display it somewhere prominent, or carry it with you at all times, then it is always at the forefront of your mind.
There are two types of goals. Long and Short term.
First we will look at long term e.g. I am going to lose 1 stone by the 1st of December (1lb a week).
This goal is specific, it can be measured, and it is achievable and realistic and there is a fixed date that you want to achieve it by, so therefore it is time bound.
But, December is 16 weeks off, and it’s going to take a lot to keep me focused on that goal for the best part of 4 months. So what we need in the mean time, is some mini goals or ‘process goals’, that will help us on the way to achieving that long term goal, and keep us engaged and on plan in the 16 weeks leading up to it.
Process goals, are our plan! They need to be SMART also, and they need to be structured so that you get some quick wins, to boost your confidence and will power, and keep you on the path to that long term goal.  With a process goal, you aim to complete a specific process for a period of time. (Can you see where that SMART terminology comes in again?)
The process goals that I could put in place to achieve my long-term goal would be a series of steps that form my plan to reach the ultimate long-term goal:-
Process Goal 1 – to help with a weight loss goal – Transition plan
1 – I will follow the Transition plan that Be Strong has provided me with, for 4 weeks. I will follow this plan religiously.
2 – I will record a weight, every week with Be Strong.
For this goal, you need to do nothing other than what the Transition plan tells you to do for 4 weeks, and come to a Be Strong session once a week to get weighed, or weigh at home and log it in your weight tracker.
The benefits of doing this are twofold:
The Transition Plan, points you in the direction of the foods we should all be eating, and in the portion sizes that we should be eating them. It takes the pressure off recording calories for the first two weeks, whilst we get used to eating correctly. It holds you to account to your choices, by weighing once a week, to check your progress.
In the second two weeks, you begin to ‘Transition’ into how to manage your food yourself, by starting to track calories, and also reflecting on your own personal performance. This introduces more personal accountability. Accountability for what you are eating, but also accountability to reflect on your performance, and how you can improve on that performance.
Process Goal 2 – to help with a fitness related goal – Steps and Stairs
1 – I will make sure I walk at least 10000 steps every single day.
2 – I will no longer take the lift anywhere, I will take the stairs every single time.
3 – I will do this for 4 weeks.
The benefits of doing this are that you are introducing a new positive habit, as well as introducing physical activity, gently into your routine. No early morning gym sessions, no killing yourself doing classes that you hate, just taking every opportunity to get your steps in and walking up the stairs wherever possible.
We could run these goals on their own, or in parallel, depending on what it is you want to achieve – if you want to gain some fitness as well as lose weight – I would recommend doing both at the same time. If you just want to lose weight – just stick to Process Goal 1.
Before we know it, almost a month has passed and we are probably seeing some success on the scales, with the potential to have lost anything between 4 and 8 pounds. And, most importantly we are on track to achieving our long-term goal.
By this time, you are most definitely noticing that you are growing in confidence, people are starting to comment that you are looking well, and you are feeling a lot better in yourself. You’ve got more energy, and you aren’t as out of breath climbing the stairs. You also have a good understanding of the sorts of foods you like eating that are within your calorie allowance.  Most of all, you are still doing it!! You haven’t given up!!
You might decide you want to challenge yourself a little. Your next goal, therefore could be as follows:
Process Goal 3 – Taking Control
1 – I will continue to walk 10000 steps a day and take the stairs every single time. (These steps are embedded in your routine now, and should feel a little easier)
2 – I will pick a nutrition plan (either restart, 5pm or weekender) track every morsel of food and drink that passes my lips, in Meal Tracker, and consume no more than my calorie allowance of X calories a day.
3 – I will go for a walk three times a week with Mum. We will walk on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm and Saturdays at 11am. We will walk for 30 minutes each time. We will go out at these times, without fail, no matter what the weather is doing.
4 – I will record a weight with Be Strong every week.
5 – I will do this for 4 weeks.
By the end of this short process goal, we are feeling the benefits of starting to establish some new habits, new activity routines and a whole new awareness of the food you like eating. We have successfully achieved 8 weeks worth of goals! We can feel a huge difference in the way our clothes fit, and more people are asking us if we have lost weight, and how we have done it.  We have also now lost at least 8lbs, possibly more, that’s well on your way to your long-term goal of losing 1 stone by the beginning of December.
Sounds do-able doesn’t it? That’s because it is. All we ask is that you trust us and give it a go. Get out the pen and paper and put your SMART goals down in writing.
Remember to make your goal:
SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ACHIEVABLE
REALISTIC
TIME BOUND
Share them with us, or give us a shout, if you want some help in constructing a goal.
Take Action!
This week have a think about what you really want to achieve and how you are going to get there.  If you are stuck for some process goal ideas, have a look at the list below:
Goal Idea – Close the kitchen each night at 8pm and don’t reopen it until breakfast – builds new routines and breaks old habits
Goal Idea – Take the stairs at work instead of the lift – builds new routines and improves fitness
Goal Idea – Plan some physical activity (not necessarily formal exercise) for every day – increases physical activity levels, improves fitness, introduces new routines, introduces good habits
Goal Idea – Clear out your cupboards of all your ‘trigger foods’ – prevents bad habits from fulfilling themselves
Goal Idea – Introduce the 1 mile rule! If the round trip journey is less than 1 mile you walk it. – introduces physical activity naturally
Goal Idea – No chocolate, cakes, biscuits or sweets week – builds resilience, resolve and mental strength
Goal Idea – No alcohol Monday – Friday or Sunday – Thursday – introduces new routine, reduces calorie intake
Goal Idea – Attend an additional Be Strong HIIT session each week – improves fitness and introduces new routines
Goal Idea – Write a realistic weekly exercise plan and follow it – introduces a new routine and improves fitness
Goal Idea – Cut up all your food at every meal and eat slowly, stop eating when you are full – teaches you to listen to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues
Goal Idea – Drink 750 ml water before every meal – introduces new routines, hydrates you and helps to fill you up.
Goal Idea – Eat your five a day, every day – increased fibre, vitamins and minerals, improves bodily functions, skin, hair and nails, fills you up with lower calorie food.
Goal Idea – Create a menu for your kitchen and eat from it each day – introduces meal planning and taking control of the way you fuel your body
Goal Idea – Walk for one hour on three days, walk for 30 mins on the other four days – introduces a new routine and improves fitness
Goal Idea – 10 min Be Strong HIIT session alternating 2 of your favourite exercises every day – introduces a new routine and improves fitness
Goal Idea – No cheese week – massive win if you eat a lot of cheese, break bad habits, change the foods you eat for healthier versions, save lots of calories
Goal Idea – Sign up to a Be Strong monthly challenge – introduces routine, improve mental strength and resilience, improve fitness (depending on the challenge)
Goal Idea – Prepare your next day’s breakfast and lunch the night before, every day – introduces new routine, reduces risk of making bad choices when time is limited
Goal Idea – Eat to your calories every day – weight loss!!!
Goal Idea – Add weights to your Be Strong HIIT sessions – improve your strength and muscle tone
Goal Idea – No alcohol week – reduce your calories, break bad habits, improve your routine
Goal Idea – Join a Couch to 5k group! – introduces a new routine, make new friends, improve your fitness
Many people would ask you, or we might ask ourselves, to do a combination of all of these at once. That is just impossible and crucially, it is unsustainable! Our advice is to repeat the ones that you enjoy and use these ideas, and some of your own,, and build on it. Some you might need to do for longer before you add another process goal. Some you might feel confident to add to it after a couple of weeks. Introduce each one individually and you will find that not only will you have success, because you can devote the time and energy to one thing, you will also subconsciously learn the new behaviours. And this will undoubtedly lead us to that long-term goal that we are aiming for.