Why we don’t achieve our New Years Resolutions Pt. 1
Sitting here looking at all of the FB statuses and it seems like everyone is getting started on their New Year Resolutions early and talking about what they will be changing in their lives for the up coming year. All I can think about is how many will stay committed? How many will achieve their goals? Then I think about why they don’t stick with their goals and” feel the exhailreation of victory!” Here is what I have come up with #1 they don’t have clearly stated goals, #2 No one is leading (or invested in them), #3 they don’t get in the right environment and #4 no one joins them.
In part 1 here I am going to talk about clearly stated goals and goal setting.
So, the other day I got to wrestling practice early and I decided to see where the individual wrestlers’ heads were and where they are as a team. Here is what I did as the kids came up from locker room and the athletes were getting ready, taping up their wrists, putting on their shoes and applying kensheild. I had them line up at the door and told them my goals for practice (I never want to be that coach that says do as I say not as I do). So I believe that if I am going to ask for their goals, I should state mine. So my goals for this workout were to drill their top 3 take downs, top 3 bottom moves, top 3 top moves, review the cradle ride series and be done by 5:15pm as it was a day before a match. The only way that you could get into practice was to tell me your goal for that days practice. It had to be clearly stated, achievable and something that could be quantifiable by the end of practice.(they didn’t know that part. I wanted to use this as a chance to teach the kids how to goal set) Now it was their turn…here is what I got a lot of, “to get better”, “to be the best that I can be”, ‘to win” (to win what?), “not to lose” (again not to lose what?) and get in better shape. These are pretty opened ended statements and because there is no way to tell if their goal was reached by the end of practice… so those guys were sent to the back of the line to try again. At the same time the good goals I got were, “to get 5 double leg take downs on John Smith”, “to have a 2 pound practice”,” to win my wrestle off over Dan Gable”, “I want to put Tom Brands on his back at least once today.”
The reason that the 2nd round of goals were acceptable and the wrestlers were allowed in the room, on time for practice is because they had clearly stated goals that we as coaches could use to motivate and help the kids achieve for that workout. Let me tell you something, we normally have an intense practice room but this was a totally different beast. The kids had purpose and focus. They were on a mission. They had something to achieve by the time we said practice was over. BTW we now try to do this at least once a week now.
Here are some tips for goal setting:
Clearly define your goals: Instead of saying I am going to do a 5k in 2012. (pretty opened ended)
Try this: I am going to run in the Main Street 5k on July 31st 2012 and I will finish in a time of 29 minutes or less. Pay your fee right away. Coughing up some of your hard earned dollars will help to keep you on track too.
Now you have stated a long term goal. Don’t under estimate truly buying into your goal. You really have to believe in it and be committed. It will be a long road and you will need to have faith when times get tough. Also, each time you go out to run, lift, condition or stretch you will be consumed by not only the 5k its self but time of 29 minutes or less. You will have a mission. This will drive you when you are tired, can’t get out of bed or miss a training due to life being crazy.
Furthermore, have at least 1 goal before you go out for a training session (short term goals or steps toward your long term goal). These little goals will keep you motivated along the way to your over all goal. Don’t get discourage if you fail to achieve your little goals. Life (and training) are about the journey. Enjoy the highs and lows and look at this way….you have a built in goal for tomorrow. You don’t have to stress about thinking up a new goal. You have to keep working toward that little goal. You have to get the one that got away yesterday.
Each goal needs to be very clearly defined with an identifiable result.
The next blog will be on being led, coached or trained and its importance.
Realistic Holiday Options
This is the most wonderfully fattening time of the year, but it does not have to be.
Let’s first get back to basics and work to incorporate small things into your .
Everything is fine in moderation…It is true. A glass of Egg Nog is okay to enjoy. Bringing home a gallon a day and sucking it up on the couch with a straw at night is not.
Try to incorporate extra exercise into your daily routine to off-set the extra calories. This can be as simple as looking for the furthest parking spot at the mall so you get a little more of a walk in. Maybe go out and rake the leaves yourself instead of sending the kids so you can be a little more active. And we have all heard that standing burns more calories than sitting so wrap those presents standing at the kitchen table rather then sitting in front of the TV.
We have all read that you should make healthy choices when snacking at parties or loading up your plate at a big holiday meal, but as often as you hear it and you try to psych yourself up to make good choices, all is usually lost when the cheeses, cookies, adult beverages and holiday atmosphere greets you at the door. So I suggest you go in with realistic goals and then you won’t be disappointed with yourself the next day because of your overindulgence. Allow yourself a cup of cheer, a bit of dessert, a taste of an appetizer and heck dip a veggie in some dip.
None of the tips are huge lifestyle changes, but offer simple little steps to offer an offset of the indulgences you should enjoy this holiday season with your friends and family.
When is it time to find a Personal Trainer?
Have you been going back and forth to the gym for several months without any real ability to commit to a schedule? Just so you know, it isn’t really a schedule if is not consistent for more than a month.
Do you spend more time during your workout looking around at what everyone else is wearing and doing and not truly concentrating on your workout?
Do you leave your workout not only thinking you could have done more, but wishing you had put more effort into your workout?
Can you remember the last time you left your workout actually feeling like you just had a great workout? Do you remember what that great burn even feels like?
My guess is that you have been on a bit of a break from the gym and your workout completely with all the busy-ness of the holidays. So are you going to go back to your bad habits of 2011 in 2012 or is this the year you get back to taking care of yourself in the New Year but in a serious way. A commitment without excuses….you know the excuses. ‘At least I am working out, I could be home but I am here so that counts’. That type of workout (a term which I use loosely) probably does more harm than good. I say more harm because that type of justification caries over into behaviors like eating and lounging. You have the extra cookie, candy, appetizer, meal out with the second, or third, glass of wine. This is where it does more harm than good. What is going on during your visit to the gym is not actually a workout but rather takes just slightly more effort than a vigorous shopping trip. What ends up happening is you are eating and drinking additional calories because you have convinced yourself your gym trips are burning off the indulgences, but in all actuality your workout is doing little more than allowing you to maintain your current weight. Add in the extras from the holidays and your pants will be tight by New Year’s Eve. If any of this is describing you and your ‘workout’ habits or justifications….then a trainer is for you.
Elite Training LLC. 