New Year’s is a time when most of us make the age-old promise of getting in shape. But if you’ve been unsuccessful up until now, it’s time to switch things up and try a new approach. Let’s take a look at six innovative ideas for setting fitness goals for the new year that may help you achieve real, lasting change moving forward.
1. Set Goals With Friends or Family
Setting goals on your own is great, but only if you have what it takes to follow through. If you struggle to reach your own goals, find an accountability buddy like a friend or family member who will rely on you to follow through for their sake. This makes it easier to motivate yourself and avoid giving up.
2. Start Slow
Too many New Year’s goals fail because they’re too grand and unrealistic. Start slowly by setting goals you know that you can hit, like going to the gym before work. Then, start working on bigger goals as you become more physically fit.
3. Break Down Your Goals
Saying that you want to be fit is too big of a goal that you can’t define and may never reach. Instead, if you want to get muscular, focus on a specific muscle group and make it a goal to see results there. When you break down your goals, you’re in a better position to reach them.
4. Incentivize Yourself
For some, the incentive of being fit is enough to keep them going. But that’s not true for everyone. Maybe you’re looking to buy a specific clothing item that you can only wear when you’re fit. If there’s a specific reward that drives you to stay on top of your fitness goals, use that to propel yourself throughout the year.
5. Have Something to Get Fit for
Getting fit for an event is an excellent way to begin your fitness journey. After all, you don’t want to fall short of your goals and not look your best. Whether it’s an upcoming wedding or a tropical summer vacation with friends, use an event on your calendar as a deadline to reach your goals and a reason to get fit.
6. Hire a Personal Trainer
For some people, fitness comes easy. Others might need a little more support on their fitness journey. If you fall into the latter category, consider setting goals with a personal trainer who knows exactly what they need to do for you in order to get you there. It can be hard to reach goals on your own when it comes to fitness, and it’s okay if you need some external support.
Fitness goals are some of the top goals for New Year’s, but they’re also the goals most people give up on just a couple of months after getting started on them. Use the six innovative tips above to make this coming year the year where you finally see your fitness goals through. Staying active and hitting your fitness goals will have a huge impact on you in the coming year and also on the future years.