YOUR NUTRITION AND FITNESS GOALS FOR 2023: GOAL SETTING TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE NEW YEAR
Goal setting can seem cliché, but setting yourself up with the right type of goals can be the difference between getting frustrated and giving up, and actually achieving the big goals you have set for yourself. This post is here to help you along in the process of making new goals that will best serve you in this coming year.
SET GOALS, NOT RESOLUTIONS
We’re not relegated to only creating new goals at the New Year, but it sure is a great time to reflect on your accomplishments from the past year, reevaluate your successes and struggles, and reset with new intentions in mind. If we’ve learned anything from the past few years, it’s that life throws us plenty of curveballs.
Something will always come up that gets in the way of our progress - be that career changes, family matters, or a full-on global pandemic. Knowing that these roadblocks can’t be avoided makes it especially important to create foolproof goals - those that can withstand the imperfections of life.
We have all made New Year’s resolutions at least once in our lives, but do you recall actually taking the time to sit and reflect on your resolutions as you made them? Were they realistic and structured or did you set yourself up to fail from the get-go? Most people make New Year’s resolutions. And while almost half of individuals gear their resolutions towards health-related changes, it is estimated that only about 10% succeed in sticking to their resolutions throughout the year. Ten. Percent.
Rather than making vague resolutions to keep, set yourself up for success by creating solid goals that you can achieve. I’m sure you’ve heard of SMART goals by now, but keeping your goals SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound) can help you create a structured plan that you are able to achieve. Your goals should be specific and structured so you are setting yourself up for success from the beginning. Rather than vague ideas that are hard to stick to, creating realistic goals will lead to permanent long-term resolutions.
LET GO OF PERPETUAL GOALS AND BE REASONABLE
Perpetual Goals are those that come to mind when we think of typical health-related goals: get a six-pack, lose 10 pounds, get down to 18% body fat. These goals are completely fine as long as achieving them will leave you feeling fulfilled. However, oftentimes we reach a perpetual goal only to realize the finish line just keeps moving.
Rather than taking time to reflect on our success, we often feel unsatisfied and want more: lose another 5 pounds, set more PRs, lose even more body fat.
THE BEST GOALS ARE NOT ABOUT DOING MORE,
BUT DOING WHAT WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING ACCOMPLISHED.
If you don’t feel fulfilled by reaching your goal (or enjoy the process of getting there), then what’s the point? Ask yourself these questions to see if you are setting yourself up with the right type of goals:
In the past, have I reached a goal only to feel unsatisfied with my progress?
Will reaching my new goal leave me feeling fulfilled?
Do I know what it takes to reach this goal?
Am I willing to do what is required?
With different goals come different levels of adherence that are necessary in order to to achieve those goals. Sure, we’d all like to be leaner and stronger and faster - but we’re not always willing and able to do what it takes to make big dramatic changes. There is a spectrum of commitment required for different goals, so make sure you are able to give the attention required to the specific goals you make. You absolutely can make big changes; just be sure you are willing to put in the work before committing to those goals.
The visual below gives an example of different approaches that may be necessary for different goals.
TAKE ACTION & MAKE THIS YEAR BETTER
Now that you’ve learned about turning your resolutions into goals, ditching perpetual goals that leave you feeling unfulfilled, and making sure that you can reasonably work towards your goals, it’s time to get started on some new goals. Before you do, take some time to think back on how you handled past goals. Grab your journal, start a new note on your phone or grab a piece of paper and work through the questions below:
REFLECT
What were your goals for 2022?
Which goals did you accomplish?
Which goals slipped your mind over the course of the year?
If you didn’t reach a goal last year, why not?
REEVALUATE
How can you shift your old goals so they are more reasonable and will leave you feeling fulfilled?
REFRESH
Which goals do you want to continue to work on through 2023?
Is there anything you can do to modify your old goals to make them more foolproof this year?
WRITE IT DOWN AND COMMIT IT TO YOURSELF
THINK BIG
What is your long-term goal and when do you want to achieve that goal?
BUT WHY?
Brainstorm your “why”. Make sure that your goal will be fulfilling, rather than an empty perpetual goal.
MAKE IT SMART
Make sure your goal is specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound.
DIG A LITTLE DEEPER
Take some time to think about the changes you can make to your environment to make your goal more feasible, who your support system(s) will be and a helpful way you can incentivize yourself when you are in a rut. It’s important to also recognize that motivation will be low at times and make sure you have a plan for how you will still move forward even when you want to throw in the towel.
BREAK IT DOWN
Take that big goal and break it down into smaller, more achievable mini-goals.
MAKE A PLAN
You know what you want to achieve, so now write down a plan to make it happen. What steps do you need to take to get started? When writing out these action steps, think about the habits needed to achieve the changes you are looking for.
As you head into this bright, new year, it’s motivating to take time to think about the big goals you want to achieve. At the same time, we must make sure that we reflect on and set goals that set us up for success! This is a skill we can practice year-round, and for a lifetime. Challenge yourself, set solid expectations, and know that great goals aren’t only relegated to January.
To further understand your goal-setting for the New Year, download our worksheet below!