Posted on January 10, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

One of my pet hates at this time of year is the word New Year Resolutions! (Sorry to be controversial since the rest of our blogs are about resolutions!) I prefer to make fitness goals instead.

Why does January have to be so important about setting goals and challenges for ourselves? Yes, I get the whole it’s the start of a New Year, so New Year, New You and all that jazz, but I think we should constantly strive to set ourself targets and challenges throughout the year.

My worry is that New Year Resolutions often aren’t kept……so what happens for the rest of the year?! Do we just go off track again until next January or do we set other goals throughout the year where we can make a hell of lot more changes in until 2015 comes around! I know what I would rather do….I’d rather see lots of small positive changes throughout the year than have achieved a huge goal in January and then crashed and burned once January was over!

I also think that setting goals and personal challenges is a more positive way to view any positive changes you want to make to your life…….goals and challanges are ACHIEVEABLE if you work hard and have a plan to follow, whereas it’s easy to think a New Year’s Resolution is just for January and then forget it after that!

As personal trainers we are constantly setting our clients goals throughout the training year, these might be smaller goals to achieve a big goal, for example increasing the weight lifted by a small amount every week in order to see bigger gains by the end of 6 weeks. Losing 1lb per week so that in 3 months time they weigh a stone less. Running a little further each week so that they can run a 5k in 3 months.

So, my top tips for achieving to your GOALS this year are:

1. Ditch the word resolution and set specific fitness goals and challenges.

2. Have one or two main goals you want to achieve in the year and then break this doen to smaller goals whcih will help you achieve your main goals.

3. Write your goals and targets down and review these on a daily basis, at the end of each week review what you have done to achieve your goals….what’s worked, what hasn’t, do you need to make any other changes, set any other goals?

4. Tell your friends and family about your goals and targets and get them on your side to help you achieve them!

5. Write a list of why your goals are important….if they are important to you, you are more likely to achieve them. Sounds daft to say it, but so many people set goals because they think it is what is expected of them from others. Set YOUR goals because they are important to YOU!

Lucy has written a great blog about goal setting to help you achieve your goals! Read it here!

http://www.m8north.co.uk/blog/new-years-resolutions-setting-smarter-fitness-goals-2014/