Key Goal Setting Strategies
Visit your local gym or organic food isle this week and you will be amazed at the magical increase in human beings that were not there just last week. No, they aren’t fake, and they are likely taking up your favorite treadmill or eating all your special treats. Each one of those humans has made a conscious choice to change something in their life, whether exercises or diet related, to improve their health. They have made a ‘New Year’s Resolution’.
A ‘New Year’s Resolution’ does not have to be health related, as many people will focus on job or family related targets. But, for those of you who are accepting the turn of the year as your chance to finally get in shape or shed those extra pounds and are unsure of how to start, keep reading because we will lay out some key goal setting strategies that will almost guarantee your success this year.
Superordinate Goals
First, you need to have an idea of what race you want to run in your before you can enter the competition. For example, “this year I want to be more healthy” is a good start. This statement is intentionally vague and should create a concept of where you are currently and what you hope to become. This is called a superordinate goal. Now that you have created a superordinate goal, you have enrolled in a race. You should have an idea based on knowing your own body about if this race you’ve entered in a marathon or a sprint.
Intermediate Goals
Second, you are going to break down this superordinate goal into slightly less vague steps, called intermediate goals. In order to “be more healthy”, I need to: get better sleep, exercise regularly and eat less fast food. Intermediate goals are slightly more specific steps that, if adhered to, will allow for the superordinate goal to be met and at this point you are getting ready to take the starting positions for the race. However, intermediate goals are still not specific enough. They must be further broken down into subordinate goals.
Subordinate Goals
Subordinate goals are specific changes to your day/week that you can check ‘yes or no’ to at the end of the day/week. A subordinate goal for the intermediate target of exercise regularly would be to do 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill once per week. Now that you have created a specific, attainable goal for each week you are in the starting blocks and the race is about to begin.
The race that you are about to start is not against your friends, or your boss, or your family. This race is against yourself. This race is about understanding where you are currently and accepting that you would like to be somewhere else. This race is the very essence of human nature. We are not stagnant in our being. We are either improving or worsening and you have made the noble commitment to improve yourself.
Good luck to you on your race this year and know that everyone here at Health & Performance Center is cheering for you and is committed to helping you in whatever way we can. As always, keep moving.