One thing I always like to do is set goals for myself whether it be in my personal life, fitness/exercise life, career life, etc.  These goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly goals.   I like setting goals because they are a great way to push me forward, provide a stronger purpose during my workouts, and give me something to strive for.  So, today’s tip is to make sure to set fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals.  You might be asking yourself, what is the difference between a fitness goal, nutrition goal, and wellness goal?  A fitness goal might be walking for 45 minutes 3 times a week.  A nutrition goal might be to eat at least 5 fruits and veggies each day.  Lastly, a wellness goal might be to sit and relax for at least 15 minutes a day to allow your mind and body to unwind and de-stress.

Typically, I like to take it a step further by setting objectives within my goals to help challenge myself even more.  For example, my fitness goal might be to workout five days a week.  Within that goal, I may make several small objectives, such as doing a 25 minute trail run on one of those five days.  That 25 minute trail run will then help set an objective for the following week.  Since I did a 25 minute trail run on week 1, the following week (week 2) I will make my objective be a trail run of at least 25 minutes (equal to or longer than week 1).

While making fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals for yourself are important, it is equally as important to maintain commitment to your goals.  One way to help ensure commitment to your goals is to write them down so that you can visit them often.  Consider buying a small notebook or calendar that will encourage you to do this.  You can even include fitness quotes and motivational tips within the notebook or on the calendar as I often do.  This will help you be accountable and allow you to keep track of your progress.  Using the above example, you might write down next to week 1 that the 25 minute trail run objective was met and write the distance you ran.  Then, the following week when you reach the objective of running at least equal to that 25 minute run or longer you can write down the number of minutes as well as the distance to see how you improve over time.

In closing, remember that it is important to reward yourself with something small (fitness, nutrition, or wellness related would be most appropriate and beneficial) once you reach a goal that you have set for yourself.  I like rewarding myself with a new sports bra, ice cream with fresh fruit on it, or even a few pieces of dark chocolate.  Be sure to find something that will really motivate you and encourage you to reach your fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals.  In other words, put something big on the line!

~jj