Setting Goals That Actually Get You Started

Every moment is a moment to START, and you can make some real headway by getting a grip on your goals.

Getting started is so often the issue we each face when considering making changes to our nutrition and fitness. Stuff gets in our way...outings, travel, children, work, workouts, all of it. The type of goals we set are key. A good way to look at your goals are as two types: outcome-based and behavioral goals. Outcome-based goals are the ones most of us are pretty comfortable setting. They might look like this:

"I want to lose 8 lbs in 8 weeks" "I want to gain 5 lbs of muscle mass in 60 days" "I want to add 20 lbs to my deadlift" "I want to shave 1 minute off of my 5K time this month"

These goals are specific (being that they include figures and targets that are measureable). They are a great first step. However, they focus on the result or outcomes of a good nutrition and fitness program. In order to work to achieve these results, we need to identify the behaviors or steps we have to practice to reach them. Behavior goals might look like this (for different types of outcomes):

"I commit to working out 5 days a week for 8 weeks" "I will reduce my total daily calories consumed by 500 kcal for the next 8 weeks." "I commit to eating breakfast every day for the next 2 months." "I will add two sprint-interval training sessions each week for 4 weeks."

Behavioral goals allow us to identify the actions we can take right away and help us get started. They also allow us to be realistic about what we can commit to, and may cause us to adjust our outcome-based goals from the start to reflect that reality.

Try It! Identify a specific outcome-based goal with a timeframe. Identify at least one (more if you're ready) behavioral goal you can immediately start to tackle. Write it down, carry it with you, repeat it all day for several days. Make a note for each day that you achieved it. Add behavioral goals as you are ready and watch yourself get a move on achieving your desired outcomes!

Good luck!

Coach Sarah by Sarah Mills, @salbec

SoMoved Nutrition, www.somovednutrition.com