Goals. They're something that should be top-of-mind when it comes to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. A goal is something that we constantly strive for, combining all of our fitness, nutrition and especially motivation towards achieving that goal.
The trouble is though, quite often I find that people's goals tend to reflect something that's maybe a little too far out there. Perhaps it's a weight loss goal or even a new dress or pant size that's realistically going to take several months, or even a couple of years to finally achieve. Now, don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing that says your goals can't be lofty ones. The only thing that I would caution you about is making sure that you are in it for the "long haul."
Many times I've seen people simply give up because their goals haven't been reached in a timely enough fashion for their taste. That's really sad and unfortunate to see, because, had they perhaps dialed it back a wee bit, or, better yet, focused on something that was a bit more tangible or "real" they probably would have had a better chance of seeing it through to fruition.
So that's where my challenge for you this week comes in. Focus on a "Real Event" to train for, and then go for it!
No matter where you're from, chances are pretty good that there is some sort of organized sport or perhaps several of them that anyone with a little ambition and some extra time can sign up for, and take part in. Plus, it doesn't seem to matter what the season is either. Summer, Winter, Autumn or Springtime, there's some sort of sporting event or team-based league sport happening in most cities, towns and villages. All you have to do is take a look in the local paper, or check out your community's local events website to get all of the details.
Now, back to those goals! You see, when you find some sort of "Real Event" that is interesting to you, and you decide that you could probably do it (and have some fun at the same time), all of a sudden you have put in-place a goal that you can aim for, and start a focused training regimen in order to prepare for it.
If we examine the 5 criteria for a proper "goal" based on a real event, I think you'll be surprised at how accurate this little formula of mine can be:
The S.M.A.R.T. Formula for Goal-setting
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timeline)
First, your real event is most certainly specific, because it is dealing with a specific "event." Perhaps it's your city's local fundraising 5 km race to help crippled children or something. You can't get much more specific than that.
The measure-ability of the real event is easy too. If we go back to the 5 km run, you can start by running a block or two, and gradually start building up until you reach that 5 km distance. At that point, you know you're ready for the real thing.
Attainability of this goal brings into play the fact that nobody wants to look like they are not well prepared for whatever the real event might be. Especially if you're dealing with a team-style event like perhaps a dragon boat race, where there are a number of other people depending upon you and your ability to come through and "take one for the team" when you have to.
The next one is a no-brainer. Realistic goals are definitely front and center when talking about a real event. The goal itself is almost entirely based on the end result, which is the day of the big race, tournament or whatever it may be.
Finally, the timeline of your goal is almost always pre determined for you. You enter into the running for the real event knowing that on a specific date, at a specific time, you are going to be called upon to perform whatever task you've been training so hard for.
So you see how having a Real Event to strive for can make reaching a goal much more attainable? I wouldn't suggest that you center all of your fat loss or fitness goals around these kinds of events, you need to have some goals that are more of a personal nature, and don't involve any other people or outside events. However, seeing through a real event goal can be a big boost to your confidence level, and can help make those other, more difficult-to-follow goals seem more within your reach.
To finish off then, here are just a few ideas for some real events you can start looking for in order to get a better handle on your overall fat loss goals:
Local "Fun Run" for Charity (5 to 10 km)
Dragon Boat Race (team charity event)
League Sports, such as Softball, Hockey, Soccer, Curling, Horseshoes or even Lawn Bowling
An Adventure Race (lots of fun, and usually involves multiple events)
Local Triathlon or even a Duathlon (biking and running only - no swimming)
Whatever real event you choose, make sure that you train hard for it, in order to get the biggest benefit for your personal goals, and, most of all... Have Fun!
My Name is Dale Bateman. For over 10 years, I've been helping ordinary people (like you and me) achieve their fat loss goals with my common sense approach to health and wellness. I truly believe that long term fat loss can only be mastered by incorporating what I call my three components of fat loss.
These are Fitness, Nutrition and Motivation. Without all three components, you are setting yourself up for failure. Each week, my blog features a brand new, original post dealing with one of these three components. Also, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter and free 5 week e-course, "5 S.T.E.P.S. to Losing Your First 5 Pounds."
So if you're looking for common sense strategies for losing fat and achieving optimal health and wellness, please visit my blog today: http://losethefatforlife.com
Thank you.
Dale Bateman
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