Step 1: Goal Setting

I'm a task oriented person. I do better when I have a mental list of things I want to accomplish on a daily basis. I believe in setting short term goals and long term goals, keeping in mind that they must be realistic. Don't set yourself up for failure by aiming too high at first. For instance, if you want to lose 20 pounds, you have to understand that it takes time. Doing it the healthy way will take you about 8-10 weeks. So this would be a good long term goal. A short term goal might be to walk or run 5 days this week. Goals are important to keep us motivated; without them we wouldn't have incentive to do anything.

After setting your goals, think about how you plan to stay committed to them. Having a personal trainer is a great way to be held accountable, but that's not always possible for some people. Maybe working with a friend and keeping each other motivated will work best for you. I like to keep a daily journal of what I eat and what I do in the gym. That way, when I'm not making the progress I should be, I can look back and see where I slipped up. It's a good way to evaluate what does or does not work for me.

What goals do you have for yourself? Do you want to lose weight or get into shape? What have you done so far to acheive your goals? Do you find that you stick with a routine only a few days before you fall off the wagon? Discipline is important in all aspects of our lives. If it were easy, everybody would do it. It's all about mental toughness and a drive to succeed. Take a minute to think about how you go about accomplishing tasks in your everyday life. Setting health and fitness goals is no different than anything else, you have to want it bad enough to make it a priority. So before we go any further, think for a minute about what goals are realistic for you to acheive this week. Then think about where you'd like to be by the first day of summer. Jot these things down and put them where you'll see them everyday. Now you're ready to work!