Setting New Goals

This is a great time of the year to plan some new goals. We are coming off of summer vacation, getting back into new routines, and perhaps needing a little extra motivation. Goals, especially bright, shiny new goals, can be extremely motivating! There is a great system for goal planning that can make the daunting task a lot easier. Go grab a piece of paper and a pencil and meet me back here for some new goal planning. 

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

The SMART goal method is a very effective way at writing out and setting obtainable goals. It's simply an acronym for 5 qualities your goals should have. 

S- Specific: Be specific about what you want to accomplish. General goals are harder to grasp. For example, 'I want to run more' is very general. However, 'I want to complete a 10k in 3 months, so I will run 4 days a week' is easily accomplished because of the specifics.

M- Measurable: When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the elation of achievement that pushes you to keep going to reach your goal. Ask these questions to determine if your goal is measurable: How much? How many? How will I know when it's completed?

A- Attainable: This is a big one. Many a human being has set a goal far too unattainable and give up completely when they fall short of reaching their goal. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have a "larger picture" goal, but break it into smaller, attainable goals. Perhaps you want to complete a triathlon. You wouldn't put a goal of training for and completing it in 3 months on that. Especially if this is your first one. Break that into smaller goals that can be achieved on your way to accomplishing that larger goal! Is your goal to lose 50 pounds? Great, but break it down into smaller weekly goals. Now your goal is to lose 2-3 pounds a week, working toward that 50 pound loss!

R- Recorded or Relevant: Make sure those goals are written down and relevant to where you are in your journey. If you have just started running, you don't want to do a marathon just yet. Start where you are, write down your thoughts and feelings, and keep going!

T- Timely: Simply put, when do you want to complete this goal by? Give yourself a date. This will push you toward your goal and keep you motivated. Keep in the mind your goal needs to be attainable and relevant when setting a deadline to meet your new goal or goals. 

Start making new goals today! Share some new goals you've made in the comments section. We'd love to cheer you on!

Natalie Lurie

natalie@guidingfitness.com

Make time, Not excuses!

We all make excuses from time to time. Sometimes they are legitimate excuses, and sometimes they are not. We have a "thing" to attend. I'm too tired after that day at work. The baby is sick. My car won't start. I'm just swamped. The dog is sick.... We have all been there. But, what about when excuses begin to become a habit? A way to talk yourself out of exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep, or being mentally healthy? Making excuses can have a much bigger negative impact on your life than you may realize. When you give yourself or someone else an excuse, you are giving up responsibility and personal growth.

When it comes to exercise, so many people use the excuse, "I just don't have time." Yes, schedules can get a bit busy. The fact is, if something is important enough to you, you will TAKE the time. See what I did there? You cannot make time, you have to take that time for yourself. It doesn't have to be a ton of time, just 30 minutes to an hour a day to get your heart rate going. What about "I'm just way too tired."? Oh really? Well, it's been proven that a great workout gives you tons of energy! Don't believe me, give it a try!

Have you been making excuses about your diet? When I use the term diet, I'm referring to HAVING a diet, not being ON a diet. I'm not a fan of "dieting," but that's another post for another day. Do you find yourself making excuses for eating poorly? Again, the most used excuse here is "I don't have enough time to prepare a delicious, healthy meal to put on the table, so I'll grab something quick". It's all about being prepared. Get the grocery shopping done on the weekends and do a little bit of prep work in the kitchen. That's going to save you lots of time during the week and your quality of your food will be much healthier.

These are just the tip of the iceberg of excuses. We all have our go to excuses. I challenge you to write down any excuse you find yourself making in the following week. Write it down, then under it, write out a way you can crush that excuse. Only you can take responsibility for your actions. When you put the work in, you can take all the credit!

Natalie Lurie
natalie@guidingfitness.com

Get Organized!

It's that time of year again! Summer break is winding down, kids are going back to school, sports teams are gearing up for a fresh season, and you find yourself running in a million different directions. Life can get busy, before we realize it's even happening! Can we really prepare for the perfect storm of busyness that hits us all this time of year? You bet!

I have always found myself in wide-eyed awe of those people that just seem to have their stuff together. You know the ones I'm talking about. They are always dressed to the nines, their kids stand beside them like little angels decked out in their football pads, while they drink a fresh green smoothie and expertly answer email and phone calls all at the same time. Then proceed to tear their suit off like superman and finish first place in this week's marathon. Yeah, they're pretty cool, huh? They also usually have a lot of help in the background that we don't see. People that have their stuff together, had to put it together first!

If you are already in the midst of the messiness of the perfect storm, it can seem overwhelming a task to get organized. With a few simple ideas, we can get started on the road to being Captain Cool!

Some great things to have on hand for simple organization are an erasable calendar with several different color markers, a daily planner, meal containers, sharpies, post-it notes, and a little bit of determination.

Assign each member of the family a color. Have them write in their daily appointments, schedule, or needs on the calendar. One glance and you'll know who needs to be where and when. Be sure to keep all this info in your daily planner, as well, and keep it with you.

Take some time everyday to make lunches for the next day. You can enlist your kids (if you have them) to make their own lunches. Write names on each container or brown bag and have them ready to grab in the fridge. Be sure to pack plenty of snacks in case you get stuck out at the ball field or in the office for a late meeting. Throw some snacks in the glove compartment of the car, in case you get stuck in traffic. Also, on the weekends, make a meal plan for the week and get the food shopping done before the storm hits. Failing to plan is planning to fail!

Leave post it note reminders to the kids, the spouse, the roommate, or even the pets if that's how you roll.

Don't forget to take care of YOU during this time too! Put your workout on the calendar and make it a proper appointment. Tell anyone who tries to take that time slot that you have a very important appointment that you cannot miss. It's very difficult to take care of others if you don't take care of yourself!

These are just a few simple ways to get in a habit of being more organized. Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect or work out exactly how you want it to. The goal is to make things just a little bit easier and less stressful. Take a deep breath in and start delegating!

Happy organizing!!
Natalie Lurie
natalie@guidingfitness.com