Every January 1st, millions of people around the globe make a commitment to their health and wellness. And usually, by the end of January, most of them have abandoned their objective of losing weight or gaining muscle, giving up on the one thing that they want more than anything.
The problem with most goals that remain unmet is that they are results-based and, sometimes results are out of your control. For instance, if I set a goal to lose a pound a week, I can watch what I eat and exercise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the scale number is going to lower in number. There are too many other factors at play, such as water retention and muscle growth, which could prevent me from reaching my goal, even though I am healthier on day number seven than I was on day number one.
For this reason, one of the best ways to increase your likelihood of success when it comes to improving your health and fitness is to create goals that are action-based as opposed to results-based. What does this mean?
Sticking with the desire to lose weight, I would create goals that involve engaging in positive actions; actions that I would have complete and total control over that will help me arrive at the same destination, but with less focus on results. For example, I might set a goal to eat at least four servings of veggies or to drink at least six glasses of water per day. These are both completely possible for me to do, and they don’t rely on a result that may or may not occur, thereby protecting my motivation and helping me progress at the same time.
Make this one little change when setting your goals for 2015 and success is right around the corner. Finally.
