A DAY IN MY LIFE: Day 6

Oh my goodness?!!? That girl is making a fitness video and eating a cookie?!?!  Don't have a cow!

A DAY IN MY LIFE: Day 4

A DAY IN MY LIFE: Day 3

A DAY IN MY LIFE: Day 2

A DAY IN MY LIFE: Day 1

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