Effectively Setting your fitness goals for 2011

Most people have sincerely good intentions of losing weight, getting fit, and making lasting changes in their lives at the beginning of every year.   But we have all seen these good intentions fade. We quickly develop a severe case of the "don'ts"-we don't follow through, don't make the time, don't work out between personal training session, don't stick with dietary changes and, pretty soon, don't seem to care. And of course, when all this happens, our resolutions are gone, caput, no more!
 
To keep motivated and moving toward your goals, strike while the iron is hot (e.g., when you are still highly motivated), and try these proven commitment boosters:

Set goals properly.

Over 100 published studies have documented that specific, challenging goals lead to better performance and more commitment than easy goals, no goals, or trying to "do your best."

Simply trying to "do your best" leaves too much ambiguity and "wiggle room," often resulting in the counter-productive combination of loafing and self-deception-easing up while convincing yourself (and perhaps others) that you in fact gave full effort. Specific, challenging goals minimize wiggle room, boost effort, promote strategy refinement (planning, organizing), and create a heightened sense of commitment.

Setting relatively near-term goals also enhances commitment. Research shows that supplementing one's long-term vision with near-term, proximal goals leads to better performance, as well as a heightened sense of confidence, determination, and happiness. A person who resolves to lose 20 pounds in the next year, for example, will be more committed if he/she also sets more proximal eating and exercise goals that can be reached within a week or two.

Think about benefits and barriers.

As you flesh out your goals, articulate the benefits of accomplishing them. This will help inspire you, and help you motivate when your commitment starts to waver. Tell yourself your goals are doable, but will require hard work, and convince yourself why losing weight (for example) is important to you and worth the effort.

Also think about the pros and cons of not accomplishing your goals, and about the barriers you perceive as standing in your way. Many of the barriers will be very practical-simply finding the time, or overcoming the fear of telling the boss you need to leave early to go work out. Other fears might be losing your circle of friends who are overweight and enjoy eating.

For some, being overweight is part of your identity, and you wonder "who you will be" if you lose weight. Some of you may fear the attention you might receive from the opposite sex if you become thinner. Others will feel anger, perceiving that it's "so easy" for other people to lose weight. Understanding your perceived barriers will help you stay motivated and committed when a few (inevitable) setbacks occur.

Put your goals in writing.

There's a power to the simple act of putting something in writing. It enhances commitment and diminishes the wiggle room that opens the door to revisionist personal histories-e.g., not putting forth one's best effort, but rationalizing it as "I never really set that goal, anyway."

Research shows that college students who sign a commitment "to themselves" at the beginning of a course to complete all the assignments on time are in fact much more likely to do so, even if the contract is never mentioned again. There is even some evidence that writing about life goals contributes to better health and greater happiness.

Make a public commitment.

After putting goals in writing, take your commitment to the next level by telling others about your goals. You may need some encouragement to do this, because research shows that relatively few people use this technique, even though it is proven to strengthen commitment and enhance performance. It's better known as "accountability"; which is proving to be a very important tool to sticking with your commitments to yourself.

Use pre-commitment Author Franz Kafka summarized the concept of "pre-commitment" when he wrote: "From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached." History is full of examples. Upon reaching Mexico, conquistador Hernando Cortes burned his ships to demonstrate to his troops that they must move forward, and not cling to their hopes of returning to Spain. You can customize this flexible technique to your own unique strengths and ambitions. You might want to register for a 5K race or marathon before you feel "ready"-having committed to the race, you'll be more highly motivated to prepare. For others, signing up for an adventure travel trip, extreme sports experience, or "boot camp" group exercise class would be more motivating. If you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, put your alarm clock far away from your bed-this "pre-commits" you to get out of bed when the alarm goes off, instead of repeatedly hitting the snooze button. The mind leads and the body follows. Getting up at 5 am to go to the gym isn't about your body; it's about your mind. If you need more help setting or keeping your goals, always feel free to contact me for assistance, guidance or support. Yours in Fitness, Tara