Set SMART Fitness Goals

To achieve anything of consequence, we need to set goals. But simply having goals isn't enough: We need plans for achieving those goals and the commitment to follow those plans. We also must acknowledge and accept that to achieve one thing we often have to sacrifice another.

See also: Here's the simplest, cheapest weight-loss trick ever.

For instance, the busy executive who chooses an ambitious financial goal and neglects his well-being may not understand the price he will pay in broken health until it is too late. The limitation of setting goals can be compounded by a lack of imagination. How do we create big enough goals? Once we realize our limitations in setting goals, our friends, family members and colleagues who stretch our imaginations become incredibly valuable to us. 

Goals can also be a referendum on the status quo. If, for example, I set a goal to lose weight, that goal reflects my discontent with my current body shape. That can be hard to admit. Yet everything I’ve learned about making progress with weight loss and fitness indicates that acknowledgment and acceptance are essential if I am to make constructive changes. 

Next: Goals help define your future. >>