Goal Setting

What is the difference between a goal and a dream?

A Goal has a Plan!

If you have read the previous blog on motivation you will recall that the first and most important step to making and then achieving your goals is to find what motivates you to do so. 

The following article will now help you to set and achieve your own personal goals. It is a 6 step process. 

Step 1

Establish your reasons for change

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How do I feel about myself?
• How will my life be better after I have achieved my goals?
• Why is it so important to me?

For example:

• I am sick of being tired and low in energy all the time.
• I want more energy to be able to keep up with my kids/perform better at work/lead a more active life.
• I don’t like the way I feel about my body.
• I want to be able to go to the beach in bathers and not feel self conscious.

Step 2

Establish up to 5 goals to achieve within the next 12 weeks

Ask yourself….. What changes in your body and life would you like to create in the next 12 weeks for you to be pleased with your progress?

When creating your goals use the following guidelines: 

• Goals should use directive affirmation – define a goal and state it as if it has already been achieved.
• Goals should be specific and measurable – eg. Instead of saying, ‘I want to lose weight’ say, ‘I want to lose a dress size’. In this way you can measure your success when you can fit into that smaller dress size!
• Goals should have a time frame applied.

Goal Examples:	Time Frame
1. I have completed the 12km city to bay Adelaide fun run in under 60/70/80 minutes.	12wks
2. I can do 20 full pushups without rest.	8wks
3. I am a dress size 10 and feel great about the way I look when I go out with friends.	12wks
4. I love going to the beach and feel very confident wearing bathers.	12wks
5. I have loads of energy every day and play sport with my children regularly.	12wks
6. I have lost 5cm off my waist, 3cm off my hips and 2cm off my arms.	12wks

Step 3

Write down 3 current habits that may hold you back from achieving your goals

Ask yourself….. What 3 influencing habits might prevent me from reaching my goals?

Examples:

• Skipping Step into Life sessions.
• Too much fat and sugar in my diet.
• Go to bed too late, so I am always tired in the morning and don’t want to get up to exercise.
• I keep too many unhealthy snack foods in the house, so it is easy to not eat right.

Step 4

Write down 3 new habits that will help you achieve your goals – this can be considered your PLAN.

Ask yourself….. What 3 NEW habits do I need to establish in order reach my goals?

Examples:

• When I go shopping I will buy fresh, healthy food choices that will help me eat right.
• I will take lunch to work at least 3 times a week to make sure I am not tempted to eat the wrong foods.
• I will not eat sweets and high calorie foods during the day but will treat myself only once a week
• I will go to bed earlier so that I can wake up to exercise in the morning.
• I will drink 3ltrs of water every day.

Step 5

Enlist the support of others

Let friends, family or work colleagues know what you are doing. Ask then to help you and lend their support however they can.  You may even want to share your 5 goals and 3 new habits with them so that they can help you stick to them. This also helps to make you accountable.

Step 6

Review your goals and plans

Goals need to be reviewed every day.  The more you read, write and think about a goal the more your subconscious moves you in that direction.  Your performance is based on your subconscious skills.  Your subconscious can’t remember that you are telling it a “lie”.  That is why when we set the goals we use directive affirmation – you “lie” to your subconscious telling it that you have already achieved the goals you have set.  

This technique is used by many Olympic athletes and can be encapsulated in the saying:

“If your mind can conceive it, you can achieve it”


Put your goals and new patterns by your bed, on your fridge, at your desk at work or anywhere that will help you to read them every day – even twice a day is better, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

You may wish to revise your goals each month.  Goals may need to be revised depending on lifestyle changes. If this happens, keep it realistic, stay focused and make the necessary changes to your habits or create new ones.

Now, let’s go and achieve those goals!


Jason Kimber
Personal Trainer / Director
Step into Life Hallett Cove

At Step into Life Hallett Cove our theme for the month of July is 'Goal Setting'. Setting realistic, measurable goals becomes even more important over the colder months when it can be harder to stay motivated. 

To simplify the process of goal setting we have a worksheet that is used to systematically establish patterns of change using the 6 step process above. If you would like a copy of this or personal help and support to achieve your goals please send me an email to hallettcove@stepintolife.com We would be more than happy to correspond with you.