Get your Goals Back on Track
Are current circumstances throwing a wrench in achieving the goals you set?
Does that mean it’s time to throw in the towel, sit back, and wait for better days to arrive?
Of course not, there are still many ways to achieve those goals. You just need to reevaluate and do a little course correction to get back on track.
Coach Ian here. I’m a fitness coach here in San Diego and I help everyday people live a better life by showing them how to move their bodies and build healthier habits without consuming themselves in the process.
Today I want to talk to you about goals, or more specifically how to evaluate the goals you’ve already set for yourself, and what to do if you’ve gone off track or haven’t quite hit them yet.
You do have goals, right?
Of course you do!
While this is coming out during a time of uncertainty for us all as we deal with the pandemic and social distancing, the ideas I’m going to share can be used any time, especially since our goals are ever-changing.
The first thing to note is that if you haven’t achieved your goals yet it doesn’t make you a failure, need to change, or even give up on the goals you have. It just means we need to look at the goals we have set and see if they need tweaking based on a couple of different factors.
So, the first step is to take a step back and look at the goals to see if they still line up with where you want to be or more specifically if they still line up with your why. If you don’t know what a why is, it’s the reason you set the goal in the first place, it’s that deep-down internal motivator.
For fitness, it could be any number of things.
Some want to be in better shape to play with our kids or be able to move more comfortably throughout the day. Others may want to alleviate current health risks or prevent future ones that could be hereditary or from lifestyle choices. Many just want to improve their self-confidence and feel good in their own skin. Only you can decide your why.
Taking the time to look at the goals you set is a good idea to do from time to time as we can sometimes get so focused on the process that we lose sight of why we set the goal in the first place.
Take a step back and get a bird’s eye view of some goals you’ve been working on and see if they are still something you want to achieve.
And if you realize that this isn’t for you or maybe the thing you wanted isn’t all you were hoping for, its ok to go back to the drawing board and try something else.
It doesn’t make you a failure, it just means you tried something new and it wasn’t right for you.
Next, look at the methods you’re using to achieve your goals. Are there better or more efficient ways to achieve the same result? Is what you’re doing working?
To answer this, you need to have put in some time to get a true idea of the effectiveness of your work. I don’t mean you tried for a week or two or maybe a month and quit or did something off and on. This only applies to the things you were consistent with.
If it is working, cool, any way to make it work better?
How can you speed up and add to your successes?
If your current methods aren’t working, what course correction do you need to make or who can you reach out to help you to get back on track.
If you weren’t as consistent in your methods as you hoped, no worries, now is the time to look at why not.
Was it just a lack of commitment at the time or is this a method you may not be able to stick to because it was too big a change all at once?
You see these situations a lot during New Year’s with resolutions. We set these amazing goals, and often set restrictive standards of achieving them, that we just can’t keep up with the long term.
So, if you haven’t been consistent with a goal you want, look at the methods you are using.
The last step is to look for new ways you can achieve the goals that you haven’t tried before. This will be big right now as the methods we usually use may not be available, like not being able to go to the gym or not having easy access to all your normal food choices.
This is an opportunity to look for other ways to achieve the same ends.
For fitness, it could be trying bodyweight exercises, playing with the tempo you perform your reps at, or incorporating higher reps. All are good options.
You could also try new methods you’ve never taken the time to explore like yoga, running, or HIIT style workouts.
When it comes to nutrition, you could try new recipes, different cuts of meat, new fruits, and vegetables or frozen veggies and meat instead of fresh.
The point is to look for ways to still get it done, and not get discouraged because your preferred method isn’t available right now. You still have options.
So, to recap:
Make sure your goals still align with your why.
Ask yourself, are my current methods for achieving my goals the most efficient and effective way to do it?
And lastly, are there new things you can try that you haven’t done yet to reach them?
Now is the time to really have a look at those goals you set.
Run through the steps above and you may surprise yourself what you learn about your goals.
Lastly, I want to leave you with this final thought. Please, use this time wisely and keep working on those goals.
Don’t become discouraged. You got this. Just keep doing your best, that’s all anyone, including yourself, can ask of you.
Be awesome today.
