Setting Yourself Goals

Making any lifestyle change can be challenging. Many people find that having a goal in mind gives them something to work towards, motivates them to stay on track and provides a measure of how well they are doing.

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If you’re trying to become more physically active, realistic, well-planned goals keep you focused and motivated.

Pin point your ultimate fitness goal 

Be realistic. Your ultimate fitness goal could be to be fit enough to participate in a competition on a set date or to do 10 laps of the pool. Whatever the case, make this goal realistic. Remember that most of us will never be world-famous athletes or supermodels. Think about what is achievable for you. Write down your goals.

Be specific. Don’t make your ultimate goal a general statement like: ‘I want to lose weight’. Make it measurable. Exactly how many kilograms do you want to lose?

Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you, not to anybody else. For example, if your partner wants you to lose weight, but you’re happy as you are, you may find it difficult to commit to your exercise routine in the long term.

Set small, specific fitness goals 

You are more likely to reach your ultimate goal if you break it down into small, short-term mini-goals. Short-term goals are specific, daily actions or behaviours that lead you to your ultimate goal.

Know your starting point, so you can pick activities that are comfortable and realistic for you, and build slowly at a pace that feels right for you.

Set a reasonable time frame. For example, if you want to lose 20 kg, then a realistic weight loss of 1 kg of body fat every one to two weeks means that you need to allow yourself around 20 to 40 weeks.

Consider your exercise routines as mini-goals. For example, one mini goal might be to exercise on all or most days of the week. The more mini goals you achieve, the more motivated you will become.