How to set realistic goals and follow them through to completion. 

When setting a goal, especially at this time of year when everyone is talking about new year's resolutions, you have to be careful that you don’t get too carried away. 

If you start off the year with a really big goal that you want to achieve in the next 12 months, that’s fantastic, but in order for that goal to be accomplished and it not get overwhelming it has to have an action plan, smaller monthly goals and some steps for getting to the goal.

It’s always great to be ambitious, so don’t be afraid to make big goals, and dream big dreams. Everyone should have big dreams and goals that take you from your comfort zone to achieve.

However, having big goals needs some careful planning.

If the goal is going to take the entire year to achieve, or perhaps even longer than a year. A 5 year goal. Then the ideal way to achieve the goal is to split up the goal into some smaller targets. Like a checklist on the way to the goal. 

There has to be smaller goals on the journey to the bigger one. 

This will not only make the goal more achievable, but also as you check off the smaller targets it increases the excitement along the way. 

On the way to the main goal, the trajectory might have to change, a spanner might be thrown into the works, taking you off route, and the path might not be as smooth as you had hoped. 

But as it's just one step in a much longer journey, the chances of this completely derailing the plan are significantly smaller. 

For example, if you have a goal to lose weight. This could be a big weight goal, or a smaller one more focused on toning, either way there still needs to be some sort of check list in order to achieve the goal. 

Making a 12 month plan for the goal is a sensible idea. After all we have all heard this saying ‘fail to prepare and prepare to fail’ 

There has to be a plan in place, a safety net and the correct support to ensure your success. 

If you are looking to lose weight the best first step you can take is working out why. 

It’s not so much about the total amount you are looking to lose, more about why you want to lose it. 

What about that target is going to make you happy. Is it getting into some old clothes you love, a big trip coming up or an event in the diary for this year.

There has to be a why… Why do I want to achieve this? So when things get tough and you consider throwing in the towel you can remind yourself why you started this in the first place. 

Secondly, you must have the correct support network around you. 

This could come in the form of friends to take on this challenge with you, a supportive family and even co-workers, and some accountability to keep doing the work.
If you start a new healthier lifestyle with someone, it’s great for support and accountability.

But, if you haven't got anyone who can help or you want to engage a professional to give you direction and keep you on Track, then a results based programme is your best choice.

They will be able to help you sort through your goals, give you advice when it comes to nutrition and make sure the training you're doing is effective. 

For example the goals can be as follows- 

Month 1 - train 3x per week 

Month 2- limit access to ‘naughty’ snacks and drink more water

Month 3 - increase the amount of protein im eating everyday

Check in on results and make plans for the next 3 months. 

We can do all of those things all at once in week one, which could quite easily result in burnout and the towel getting thrown in. But if we spread it out over weeks or months, it's one thing at a time to adapt to and much easier to manage. 

Body Shape fitness were the first results based programme to help people in Ely, create some really life changing results. 

After 14 years in business they are experts in making sure results are achieved and goals are broken up and tackled one at a time.

‘As a results based programme, we are passionate about everyone achieving their desired results’
Body Shapes team are dedicated to helping along every step of the journey to your goal, and beyond it, helping to maintain the results long term, and for many years to come.

Having someone who can help to break up the journey but also give you all the support and help you need along the way is vital to the success of any big goal.