In today’s world, we tend to find ourselves living in a fast-paced society. Always on the go with very little time to slow down and intentionally focus on goal-related tasks. Some refer to this as “too many irons in the fire” or my favourite “the daily grind”. Slowing down can be a huge change for many of us. We find ourselves to be programmed to be “boots on the ground” from sunup to sundown. Absolutely nothing wrong with that type of setup. Unless it begins to interfere with reaching the goals you have set for yourself. One of the biggest factors that has helped clients along with myself is taking it one day at a time.

The importance of doing this step is to ensure you free up your mind to focus on making progress toward your goals.

Like many, we tend to think of the next 7-10 days at a time which can become very overwhelming and lead to burnout with your goals. Start by planning out your week or weeks ahead. I like to refer to this as “unpacking your baggage”. The importance of doing this step is to ensure you free up your mind to focus on making progress toward your goals. Much like when you go on vacation and get everything unpacked. You feel so much better. Next, I recommend focusing on conquering your top 3 biggest tasks and then working on smaller tasks from there. Keep in mind to work at your pace to reduce burnout. In some cases, you may find an accountability partner to be very helpful in implementing the new plan of action. Lastly, Take a deep breath and take it one day at a time. Enjoy the journey, embrace the hurdles, remain positive, and give it your very best.

Chasing your goals is one of the hottest topics in more than just the fitness world. It is the driving force of reaching a target. Goals give us purpose and perspective in pursuing the chase. Goals are easily the center of attention when you want to see progress in and out of the gym. Let’s cover 3 ways not to reach your goals.

• First, goals have yet to be established or written down. Think of it like throwing darts without a dart board. You have 75% of what it takes to play the game of darts. The board must present the target. A goal without a target will lead to burnout and ultimately result in quitting.
• Secondly, you are chasing someone else’s goals. For Example, someone could be a social media influencer, family member, friend, or co-worker. Many times we find ourselves aspiring to be like an individual versus being inspired to become the best version of ourselves. We live in a fast-paced world which pushes us to become so consumed by others’ success that we tend to forget our own wins/successes.

Goal setting isn’t for everyone; however, it is a great tool for the majority of individuals looking to make progress.

• Lastly, our set goals don’t hold enough weight. Meaning they don’t have much priority to stick to them. For instance, there are two individuals who want to lose fifteen pounds. One person says if I lose 15 pounds it is what it is versus the other individual states they will do whatever it takes to reach their goals. When a goal holds higher importance, you will find yourself with greater focus and willingness to reach your goals.

In conclusion, you must decide if setting goals is right for you or not. Goal setting isn’t for everyone; however, it is a great tool for the majority of individuals looking to make progress. Chasing goals should be fun and challenging. One thing to keep in mind about setting goals is to be SMART about it. Basing your goals on SMART is simple, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-sensitive.

Over the past week, I spoke with clients to take a deeper dive into the sea of becoming greater than the scale. The goal behind the mission was to find out more about the mindset toward the weight scale from the point of view of everyday people like you and me. Some see the scale as a great tool to track data on their fitness journey. On the other end of the spectrum, some viewed the scale as a pesky rodent that they wanted out of the house. Both sides brought great viewpoints to the table. The number on the scale can either direct or dictate the next step in the process of your fitness journey. For example, a client sees the scale as a launching pad, and they see the number giving them feedback to then look into training, sleep habits, nutrition, etc.

Some see the scale as a great tool to track data on their fitness journey. On the other end of the spectrum, some viewed the scale as a pesky rodent that they wanted out of the house. Both sides brought great viewpoints to the table.

An example of the scale dictating a client’s next move would be the client stepping on the scale, seeing the number, then proceeding to have feelings of failure, guilt, skewing food choices, and overall changing the mood towards themselves. The number one objective when it comes to the scale is to decide if the tool is going to help you reach your goals or keep you crossing the finish line. If you find yourself, focusing on the number over your goals. I highly recommend getting rid of it from your fitness tool shed. The following are great examples of aspects greater than the scale: running the first 5k, increasing bench press, drinking more water, better relationship with food, clothes fitting better, building strength, adding 3 reps to push-ups, playing outside with your kids, enjoying your fitness journey, ditching the scale, adding another mile to your hike, and showing up for yourself. On the last note, fall in love with your life, fill it with positivity and enjoy the process of becoming greater than the scale.

Eric Rodgers’ on his morning run

Making yourself a priority is far from being selfish. If you feel like this often, you are not alone. More than 90% of the population feels this way and has our days packed with school, work, taking care of the kids, or tackling errands on the to-do list. This is called “the daily grind”.

Scheduling creates less room for stress and more room for success.

We find ourselves taking care of everything and everybody under the sun other than ourselves. From time to time, it feels like swimming through the mud to obtain the best version of the future. One method that has been successful with clients is scheduling. Being able to plan ahead and unpack the mind luggage is a great way to have a visual of the day. Scheduling creates less room for stress and more room for success.

The second plan of attack would be making non-negotiable times. Non-negotiable times are a way to completely unplug from everything and plug into yourself. Non-negotiable time is something you plan and stick to with a few exceptions. For example, set aside 30 minutes each day to read your favourite book, walk in the park, power nap, workout, have dinner with family, etc. Lastly, the third method is giving yourself some grace.  Things will not always go to plan; however, you have the choice to pivot and keep going. Set a reminder each day to take care of yourself. You deserve it.

One of the greatest fitness tools we have is time.  Each day we wake up to the  “time bank” with a new deposit of more time to chase after goals and dreams.  Time is a precious gift we can never get back once it’s gone.  Time is neither friend nor foe.  Time is what we make it out to be which leads to the power of choice.  The choices we make each day will dictate how time makes us feel and how we respond to our surroundings.  One of the biggest battles seen daily is the battle of making time vs having time.

A few questions to think about as we go forward:

1. How important is my time?
2. How important are my goals?
3. How can I spend my time today to set my future up for success?
4. How much time am I wasting?
5. Do I have a plan to make the most of my time?

One of the ways to overcome the time battle is to set some time aside to assess your life and goals.  Get out a notebook or use your phone to write down your schedule.  A visual aid will help boost accountability as well as help you schedule your daily task which leads to success. Scheduling will also cut down on time being wasted.  Individuals find they have more time than they thought when they start scheduling. Write down your goals from least to most important.  Writing them down will give you an idea of your top three areas to focus on the most. A big key player along the journey to success is asking yourself these questions to ensure you have a game plan to reach your goals.  Lastly, Enjoy your journey and make the most of your time.  Keep in mind the process is about progress, not perfection.

Photo By: Jamie Meyer