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Setting your fitness goals when you begin a routine is a key to ensuring that you sustain this journey for the long run. Setting goals is tricky; if they are too easy, you may lose interest, and it won’t be challenging. Too hard, and you can become easily demotivated when you don’t achieve them. So to keep you focused on your goals, here are some tips for getting those goals in place: –
- Set one goal at a time– Never bite off more than you can chew. Setting goals for yourself requires careful planning and thinking. This includes understanding your current needs, your capacity to fulfill your goals and available tools. The biggest mistake we make is trying to accomplish so much in a short amount of time. This is especially true when you are starting something new. Pick goals you see yourself accomplishing and tackle them one at a time.
- Using the SMART approach– Smart, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based is an intelligent way to set your goals. When setting goals, you need to utilize this methodology. As the meaning of the acronym suggests, by using this methodology, you will create logical, measurable plans and have a period that will ensure your progress can be tracked and monitored. One example of “SMART” for setting goals is running at a leisurely pace for 10 minutes and slowly and gradually increasing your time by one extra minute every day for 30 days.
- Keeping the bar low– Like the “SMART” approach we spoke of earlier, your goal needs to be attainable. It should be easy but not too easy, and it should be challenging so that you will start to see progress in your overall health and fitness. Be confident when you set a goal and believe you can achieve it—having plans that are attainable at the early stage when you are starting will allow you to be more motivated to stick to your fitness journey. Having this early success is vital to building your motivation and confidence in the long run.
- Don’t compare– It is easy to be discouraged when starting off to build your fitness journey by comparing yourself with others on social media. Always remember, everyone starts somewhere, so don’t get discouraged by someone else’s progress but focus on your journey.
- Always remember what is driving you– Always remember what got you started on this fitness journey. With the same determination that you have at work, try to channel that similar drive to motivate you to achieve the goals you have set yourself.
- Results Take Time– As in business, success takes time, and the same relates to your fitness goals. It takes weeks and even months to see the desired changes that you want for yourself at both a physical and mental level. A long-term mindset will allow you to see your goal as a change to your lifestyle instead of an intermittent fix.
Creating your mood board
You can also use Moodboards to arrange your journey when setting your goals. A Moodboard is an arrangement of pictures, materials, and texts collected as a basis of creative information to prepare for a project. However, Moodboards do not need to be just pictures; they can also include video and sound. Here are some tips on creating a Moodboard using an app known as Milanote.
- Have a clear objective – you can choose your board to be literal or practical. They can also be made to explore tones or moods. Or you can combine the two to achieve your final outlay.
- Choose your direction – Keep an open mind when creating your Moodboard. It’s all about exploring your theme and seeing what best fits you.
- Add in written inspirations – Add any text relevant to your goals’ objective before adding in your pictures. Taglines, words of wisdom, and any inspirational text can be included at this point.
- Images – You can add any images and visuals aligned with your objective. Any ideas that may motivate your fitness journey can be added at this stage. Images are our reminders of what we’re doing something. It helps to stir us towards our goal. In other words, it can also be self-fulfilling when you are reminded of these images and how it’s connected to your goals. Try to use as many pictures as possible, and don’t worry about arranging them in a pattern that will come later.
- Source the week for designs – Go online to look for any free visual inspiration that you can incorporate into your Moodboard. Search for images that are connected with your objective and theme. Some sites that provide these images are Dribble, Behance, and Design inspiration. And use proper keywords when looking for these designs.
- Use of colors and fonts –Colors are a natural mood enhancer. Colors boost moods, it sets the tone and it also enhances recognition and recall. Using tools like Kuler can be great at adding mood and personality to your Moodboard. Choosing the suitable color palettes will be an excellent way to express the mood you are trying to convey in your Moodboard. It is also essential to ensure the colors you select complement each other and are visually appealing.
- Use photos – Photos are a great way to showcase your thoughts and complement the overall theme of your Moodboard. Websites like Pexels, iStockPhoto, and the Creative Commons offer free photos that you can incorporate into your design.
- Composition and balance – Once you have all your media, you can start arranging them into your final idea. Play around a bit and see what fits. Make changes where required to fit your desired objective. Although a Moodboard is for communicating your visual thoughts, its needs some explanation before it makes sense to someone who sees it. You can add short notes to explain certain things on your board if you need to. Embedding these notes on a board keeps everything in context.
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Images provided by Flickr, Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay & Creative Commons
