Whether you are a professional athlete or just a regular gym goer I can’t stress how important it is to constantly set yourself goals.

It doesn’t matter how big or small the goal is, what’s important is you’ve got something to aim for rather than just bumbling along and attending the gym just because it’s ‘what you do’.

I congratulate you if you are one of those people who have made exercise part of your life as sadly you are part of a small percentage of the population.

The obvious goals are: lose weight, tone up, increase muscle mass, lose body fat, increase strength etc. But without being specific about what you want, it could be a long journey.

I always encourage my personal training clients to be specific about their goals, whether it’s being able to lift a certain weight, improve technique on a certain lift/exercise, fit into a dress or reduce waist size.

I will discourage my clients from purely focusing on the number on the scales as this really doesn’t help you physically or mentally in the long term.

When you set yourself goals, start off by focusing on the bigger picture – a long-term goal. When you have visualised where you want to be in, say, six to 12 months’ time make some short-term goals to get you there.

That six to 12 months can seem a long way off and you may get discouraged and give up but, if you look to achieve something in the next four to six weeks this will keep you going and make you feel accomplished on the journey to your bigger goal.

Your goals don’t have to be body related; they could be to develop a fitness habit, to become less stressed, to increase your energy, or to give up certain foods/drinks that aren’t good for you.

And, having something to aim for and writing it down or telling someone about it will encourage you to actually do it.

Don’t be one of those people who just talks about what they want to achieve and doesn’t do anything about it! Think about why you are exercising, set yourself a goal.

Once you have achieved this, set yourself a new goal – it can be as big or small as you like.

You can use this in everyday life, whether it’s work related, relationship or family related.

To make a change in life you need to do something different.

Get out of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself.

Contact me if you’d like me to help you in your goal setting or for any health and fitness related other questions.

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