Setting Goals for Fast Results

Dale Buchanan

As an ISSA and a Parrillo Certified Personal Trainer, I often get asked by clients to help them set goals. It's not enough to simply be on a nutrition and exercise program there should always be a specific goal in order to achieve a specific result. Goal setting involves more than writing down what it is that the you want. A tremendous amount of detail must be put into a goal setting "workshop." Here is what I have each of my clients do before we begin any type of exercise or nutrition program. Follow these suggestions exactly as they are laid out and see how focused you become and how much faster you progress towards your desired goal.

What allows people do there best is when they have a specific goal that they are working to achieve. Each workout, each meal, and each minute is spent striving to get closer to that goal. It consumes all of their thoughts and excites them to get up each morning and go for a walk, ride the bike, or lift weights. It guides them toward having visions and images of the new person they will become once have achieved what others, and themselves, once thought were impossible. It determines what they will eat for their next meal, how they will get motivated for their next workout, and enable them to wake up with a smile on their face, knowing that you have come another step closer to your dreams.

1. Keep a daily journal of your emotions, your progress, what you're learning, how you're changing, etc.,

2. Writing down and reviewing your goals daily has shown to be much more effective than simply verbalizing your goals to yourself. You may want to show them to your spouse, friend, or someone else in your life that will not let you forget what it is your working towards. Just in case you're wondering, yes, you have to show them to me also.

3. Setting specific goals such as "I want to lose 30 pounds of fat" is much more affective than general goals such as "I want to lose weight."

4. Write a paragraph on why you want to achieve your goals. Read it aloud to yourself. If it sounds superficial, then look for better reasons. The deeper your reason for wanting the goal, the more you will do to achieve it. If your reason is to look good for your high school reunion, then you probably won't get very far before losing interest in exercise and stopping at MacDonald's for a Big Mac. However, if your doctor said you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and are at serious risk for a heart attack, then you have a reason that hopefully will drive you to stick with a structured program.

5. Write a paragraph on how your life will change once you've achieved your goals. How will you look and feel about yourself? How will your relationships be different? Will you be more productive at work? Will you be able to finally get the job, or attract the mate you've always wanted? This part usually takes some serious thought and may be somewhat emotional.

That's the idea, GET EMOTIONAL! If you can't think of ways your life will change once you achieve your goals, then I suggest writing in your daily journal how your life is changing now that you've committed to the exercise and nutrition program provided to you.

6. Write a paragraph on how you will achieve these goals and what resources you will use to help you get there. The people you will hire, the books you will read, the etc. Put all of this together and review it daily. Be sure to change your goals often. As you reach your current goals, new ones will need to be set.