Stick to Your Goals

Have you ever had goals but never followed through? It happens too much in our daily lives; every new year people throughout the world make resolutions that they say they will follow through with but at some point those resolutions go out the window. In order to have success in life, committing to goals is a necessity. Without goals how will you grow? Without sticking with your goals how will you reach the change you wish to see in your life? How are you able to measure progress? Goals are a way to compare where you once were to where you are now. Goals should be measurable and attainable. They need to be realistic, timely and specific. Goals centered around these five attributes are more likely to be reached than general goals.

We live in a world where quitting happens way too often and obstacles just get avoided. So where are you at with your goals? Are you committed? Are you forgetting them? Have you written down any goals? I know where I am with mine and trust me following goals does not come easy, even for a trainer. It takes discipline, commitment, and focus. It takes drive, desire, and a want to better myself. Each of us have that but we must dig deep in order to find those things. One of my goals right now is to ride my bicycle 4-5 times a week. I am training for a 24 hour bike-a-thon that is coming up in 45 days. It has been really tough for me to stick with that goal, some weeks I find myself riding once, other weeks I find myself riding four, and sometimes, truthfully, I do not ride at all. It shows that without fully committing, without accountability, and without striving to climb over obstacles that are goals we may never get to where we are hoping to be. It does not make us failures though, we get up the next day and choose to try again. If you missed a workout you were committing to, make it up. If you ate junk food and your goal was something along the lines of heating healthy, that is okay try again the next meal. The thing about life is each day, each hour, each minute, each second we are given multiple chances. Do not stop when you have failed, instead reevaluate, recommit, and go at that goal again. You have what it takes to overcome, to achieve, to succeed, and to reach those goals you are. Find somebody to hold you accountable you do not have to reach goals alone. Get back on that bike and start riding towards achievement.

“Plan an Adventure”

“Plan an Adventure”

School is out and summer is definitely in! What shall one do with the time we have, time that our kids are now home rather than at school? How about plan an adventure…an outdoor adventure!

Adventures don’t have to involve a whole lot of planning; they can be simple and take place right outside your front door. I will say…if you can plan a big adventure…go for it!

Now what is an adventure exactly? If we look it up it is defined as: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks or an exciting or remarkable experience. Outside of this definition, there are no other rules to an adventure, so make it up yourself!

One thing I find easy for little adventures with my daughter are walking to the country homes right outside of my neighborhood. We go around the fields and admire the different animals. There’s an area off the path with rocks and little hills that we like to walk through…we feel like we are walking through dangerous territory. We find large sticks and use them as our walking sticks to protect us from any surprise “attack”! ;-)

We also enjoy more planned times of being adventurous…during a camping trip taking a hike and exploring the nature surrounding our camp site.

If this sounds appealing to you, let me add some benefits from being adventurous outdoors:

1. FRESH AIR- more oxygen being around trees & the happy feeling from the release of serotonin. Also fresh air can improve blood pressure, improve digestion and boost ones immune system.

2. Socialization- you’ll enjoy a unique experience together that will help you keep a healthy, happy relationship.

3. Improved Mood- spending some time outside in the sunlight can even out the levels of melatonin in your brain. Melatonin is the chemical that makes you feel tired and can induce feelings of depression, so by being adventurous outdoors, you can enjoy better overall moods during and after your adventure.

4. Less Stress- The lack of stress is related to the rise in oxygen levels, higher levels of serotonin and managed levels of melatonin mentioned above. There’s also an emotional component at work here, since it’s harder to be annoyed or angry when you’re doing something that you enjoy.

5. Exercise- Let’s not forget the most obvious benefit of an outdoor adventure: you’re spending a lot of time performing physical activities. Even if you’re not running or doing something strenuous, you’re burning more calories than sitting in the house.

Now, if you’re not pumped to get out there and go on an adventure, I don’t know what will motivate you.

Take it from me, it will make you and whoever you take happier- so get on out and be adventurous!

“Plan an Adventure”

School is out and summer is definitely in! What shall one do with the time we have, time that our kids are now home rather than at school? How about plan an adventure…an outdoor adventure!

Adventures don’t have to involve a whole lot of planning; they can be simple and take place right outside your front door. I will say…if you can plan a big adventure…go for it!

Now what is an adventure exactly? If we look it up it is defined as: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks or an exciting or remarkable experience. Outside of this definition, there are no other rules to an adventure, so make it up yourself!

One thing I find easy for little adventures with my daughter are walking to the country homes right outside of my neighborhood. We go around the fields and admire the different animals. There’s an area off the path with rocks and little hills that we like to walk through…we feel like we are walking through dangerous territory. We find large sticks and use them as our walking sticks to protect us from any surprise “attack”! ;-)

We also enjoy more planned times of being adventurous…during a camping trip taking a hike and exploring the nature surrounding our camp site.

If this sounds appealing to you, let me add some benefits from being adventurous outdoors:

1. FRESH AIR- more oxygen being around trees & the happy feeling from the release of serotonin. Also fresh air can improve blood pressure, improve digestion and boost ones immune system.

2. Socialization- you’ll enjoy a unique experience together that will help you keep a healthy, happy relationship.

3. Improved Mood- spending some time outside in the sunlight can even out the levels of melatonin in your brain. Melatonin is the chemical that makes you feel tired and can induce feelings of depression, so by being adventurous outdoors, you can enjoy better overall moods during and after your adventure.

4. Less Stress- The lack of stress is related to the rise in oxygen levels, higher levels of serotonin and managed levels of melatonin mentioned above. There’s also an emotional component at work here, since it’s harder to be annoyed or angry when you’re doing something that you enjoy.

5. Exercise- Let’s not forget the most obvious benefit of an outdoor adventure: you’re spending a lot of time performing physical activities. Even if you’re not running or doing something strenuous, you’re burning more calories than sitting in the house.

Now, if you’re not pumped to get out there and go on an adventure, I don’t know what will motivate you.

Take it from me, it will make you and whoever you take happier- so get on out and be adventurous!

Zumba is BACK!