It’s almost here, the new year is just a few days away. Thank god we have survived another 365 days and another end of the world prediction. We are now all one more year older and wiser, well at least that’s the hope.
The New Year is the time to reflect on all that you did well and what you need to improve on. It is a time to be optimistic about all that you might accomplish in the coming months. It could be finishing a project you have been putting off, quitting a bad habit, or the most popular one getting that mythical body you have always wanted.
David before and after New Years 1010 BCE
Whatever your goal is you need to have a plan to accomplish what you seek to gain. This will consist of process goals (goals you have control over) Example: working out, outcome goals (goals you do not have control over) Example: winning a game, as well as short term and long term goals.
Picking a Goal
The first step to completing your 2013 New Years resolution is to pick what you want to achieve throughout the course of the year. This sounds simple enough, because it is. Is it weight loss, new personal best in and of the big three lifts (bench, squat, and deadlift) and I’ll throw pullups in the mix too, so if you were counting that’s now four.
Make sure that your goal is specific. Don’t just say get in better shape or get stronger.
Set numbers: I want to lose 5% body fat or I want to deadlift 2x by body weight.
Set dates: I want to lose it by May 1st, to say.
Just make sure your goals are realistic and achievable. Example: I want to lose 50 pounds in two months. Is it realistic? Answer, No. You’re looking at 4 or 5 months to lose it in a healthy way.
Marathon Not a Sprint
Every January people start off their resolutions like they are running a 100m sprint, but in reality they are running a marathon. If you were running a marathon you would not go all out in the beginning, for you would never finish. So why would you sprint into the New Year knowing there is 12 months.
Pace yourself. What this means is if you have not workout for 3 months don’t start working out six days a week start with two and work you way up, making it a habit. People fail every year because they make to many changes all at once. One of my favorite quotes is from Brain St. Pierre, “Make a change so small that you can’t fail.” This mindset will lead to success.
Long Term and Short Term Goals
It is important to have an over arching goal, this is your long term goal. This would be losing 50 pounds or benching 315. These goals are not going to happen over night, they will take weeks and months of committed work to achieve.
That is were short term goals come in. These are your goals that can be quickly achieved. For instance losing 5 pounds in a month. These goals are designed to keep you motivated. Showing you your steady progress toward your goal.
Outcome and Process Goals
Outcome goals are ones you don’t have control over. These are the goals of winning a game or placing well in a competition. There are other variables outside of what you can do that will affect the outcome.
Process goals are the goals you have control over. I like to think of these as the means of accomplishing your other goals. If you are going for weight lose then you need to set your long term and short term goals, but you need a means to accomplish the over all goal. That is where the process goal comes into play.
These would be your goals of going to the gym three days a week, cutting out soda and simple sugars from your diet. They are the steps you need to take that will lead to you succeeding in your pursuit of your goal.
Example
Long Term: Lose 5% body fat by May 1st
Short Term: Lose 1% each Month
Process Goals: Gym 3 days a week, decrease simple sugars, soda, go to bed before 10 p.m., and so on.
The only thing to remember is when implement your process goals, do it step by step. Little changes lead to big results. Make your changes habits.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
A great way to stick to your goal is to put some money on the line. What I mean by this is sign up for a competition, whether that is a power lifting meet, a Spartan Race, a Tough Mudder, or a marathon. By signing up you are more likely to commit to your training and succeed in your 2013 resolutions.
Best
Josh Williams
P.S. What are some of your goals for 2013?
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