January 2020, it has a certain ring to it. It’s not only the beginning of a new year, it’s the start of a brand-new decade. This is the time of the year people consume themselves with New Year’s Resolution traditions of making positive changes to their lifestyle or habits. Thankfully, many of these resolutions will relate to one’s physical health or fitness level. Whether your someone looking to shed a few pounds after the festive period, build strength for the upcoming season or simply looking to improve confidence in your own clothes, there is no better time than the present to set your fitness goals for the year ahead.

Unfortunately, too many of us start our journey without creating a clear plan with our goals in mind. We can also lack the willpower, dedication and patience to achieve what we set out to do, often deflecting the blame or making excuses as to why we may be failing. To guide you from the start to the guaranteed finish line, here’s a three-step approach to setting and achieving your fitness goals in 2020.

Step One: Create A Plan

I’d recommend grabbing a piece of paper or opening a word document on your laptop. Getting your goals down in writing is the first step in creating your ultimate plan to achieving your goals. You will need to create a plan with three key elements in mind, these elements are “What” “How” & “When”. “What is it you are looking to achieve?” “How are you going to achieve this?” and “When will you achieve this by?” Before you read any further, relate these questions to your own personal goals.

Now, you must remember to be specific and realistic in your planning. Set important milestones throughout your journey. If you are relatively new to the fitness industry, you may need to seek advice from a fitness professional before you set fitness targets. If you call yourself a more advanced trainer, what elements of your training or nutrition do you need to improve to take you to the next level? Overall, you must be rational and grounded when creating your plan.

Step Two: Set Short- & Long-Term Goals

A great way of boosting confidence throughout your journey to success will be reaching small but significant milestones you have set for yourself at the beginning. This is where setting short term & long-term goals comes into play.

To give an example of this, if you are looking to lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks, this is the ultimate long-term goal. By setting yourself the short-term goal of losing 3-4 pounds a week, you are creating the pathway to your ultimate goal. If short term goals are achieved, this will only spur you on and motivate you.

“You’ve lost 3 pound this week? That’s amazing! You must be working so hard; you should be very proud.” Now it’s time to power through into next week’s target of losing 4 pounds. Confidence in yourself is always vital to seeing out any objective.

Step Three: Have Patience

An unwanted trait that many of us possess is impatience. We want things to be handed to us and fast. Wouldn’t we all love to have fitness model bodies without doing a tap of exercise or proper nutrition. However, as with anything worth having in life, nothing comes without a bit of challenge and discomfort. But like I’ve said before discomfort can be your ally when working towards your goals.

As the famous quote goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, and your fitness targets won’t be achieved over night. Consistency is key here, track your progress as you go. If you are on track, that’s excellent. It means what you are doing is clearly working, and what you set out to achieve is in your sights. If you find yourself falling behind and making excuses, its time to re- evaluate and refocus. Maybe its time to change a few aspects of your plan. You may need extra guidance through personal training, you may need to seek advise from a nutritionist or maybe you simply need to get to bed earlier to improve your sleep.

Overall, have patience while on your journey towards your fitness goals.

A Final Word

Before setting your goals for 2020, it is important to remember that we are all at different stages in terms of fitness, strength & health. Your goals should be realistic and attainable through commitment and hard work. Individual goals can also vary between training and appearance, being able to do three push ups in a row, to fitting into that red dress you’re wearing for your Valentine’s Day meal.

If you’re looking for extra support for achieving your fitness goals, Aura Leisure are offering 50% OFF your first month’s membership this January. Our free fitness programmes Lean 3 and Fit For Life are designed and tailored with your fitness goals in mind. Visit auraleisure.ie/2020sale to find out more.

Vinny Pyper – Marketing Co-Ordinator

Published: 15/01/2020