Motivation!

Needing a little inspiration? A little motivation? Lacking enthusiasm?

One of the greatest challenges in beginning an exercise program is getting started.

The key to motivation is all about effective goal setting, which essentially helps you to focus your attention on the end result of your training program.

An easy way to remember how you go about setting your fitness goals is to use the acronym S.M.A.R.T…

Specific
- goals need to be clear and well-defined
- helps you to focus on what you want to achieve
- example: “I want to be able to run 10km”

Measureable
- measurable goals provide benchmarks for you to make sure you’re on the right track
- it allows you to document your progress
- it is important to know when your goal has been achieved, so if you need to, you can set a new one

Achievable
- achievable goals should focus on not only what you want to achieve, but how you’re going to achieve it

Realistic
- setting healthy, realistic goals within the availability of resources, knowledge and time
- example: if you have never run 10km before, it might be a good idea to start with 5km and progress from there

Time Frame
- set your goal with a completion time in mind
- without a time limit, it is easy to procrastinate and get bored
- give yourself enough time to accomplish the goal
- time frames of greater than 6 months tend to be too long, it is a good idea to re-evaluate your goals every 2-3 months