7 Proven Methods To Achieve Your Fitness Goals in 2023

Guest post written by: Marcus Lam-Peters

I’ve never been a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. I believe that if a person truly wants to change their life they will begin to do so the exact moment the idea enters their mind. Still, if the realization that a new year is approaching is what stirs a person to make a change, I won’t be the person to put them down for it. If this is you, here is a list of things that can help you reach your fitness goal in 2023.

Visualize It

Think about where you live. What enters your mind? I’m willing to bet you saw an image of some part of your home. You did not need to describe your place of residence to see it, you simply just saw it. Think about your pet. Your first love. Your mother. Does the same thing happen?

A picture is worth a thousand words. Images are powerful and define our reality. They stir emotion better than words and are usually the foundation which descriptions, plans, and desires are built upon. To make a goal seem attainable and for it to become real, you must spend time each day either visualizing yourself as you intend to become or visualizing that thing you wish to obtain. This practice is a confirmation to your subconscious mind that this is indeed what you desire. The more frequently that image is pictured, the clearer it becomes. This begins to create a shift in your behaviours and practices as your mind tries to align your body with that image.

In short, if you picture yourself as a fit and healthy person, that is who you will become. If you keep picturing yourself as a failure then you give this power and won’t notice a change.

Be Honest with Yourself

There is no such thing as receiving something for nothing. Anything you are given in life you must pay for. To attain a goal we pay with the currencies of energy, effort, patience, and time. These resources are costly and often weigh heavily upon the spirit when paid and because of this, it can sometimes deter an individual from trying.

The question that needs to be asked when pursuing a goal is, “How badly do I want this?” Determine and understand what the true cost will be. Decide what you are willing to give up and be prepared to work for it. If you want to lose ten pounds, but keep eating out for lunch because you’re unwilling to wake up earlier and pack something, don’t be surprised if you struggle to lose weight. If you want to gain some muscle but find yourself unwilling to give up the weekly partying, don’t be upset by your inability to gain mass.

Your success will only come when you truly desire your goal more than the sacrifice you must make to reach it. Ask yourself, “Am I ready to make this happen?”

Don’t Look for Praise

How many times have you gone on Facebook only to see someone’s status that they are changing their habits? Maybe you are guilty of making a similar declaration to people you are close to. What usually happens? Dozens of people might hit the ‘like’ button and you may receive a few congratulatory comments which become your positive reinforcement by those acknowledging your journey. In actuality for many people, this is setting them up for failure.

The positive response you receive from others creates what is known as a “social reality”. The mind tricks itself into feeling the work needed to be done has already been completed and becomes satisfied. Satisfaction leaves you less motivated to do what is necessary to truly achieve your goal.

I’m not saying that you should keep your goals to yourself, but it is important to not let the positive feedback of others lessen the drive you have at attaining your goal. If you do feel the need to share with someone, make sure that person will help you fulfill the next action.

Make Yourself Accountable

When trying to reach a goal, accountability can be a scary thing. In effect, it means accepting that our own success or failure will be determined by our ability to be disciplined, consistent, and responsible. As difficult as it may seem, accountability is in fact a blessing.

Do you want to be in control of your life or just a bystander? Accountability means that you are the captain of your own ship. You get to decide not only what your goals are, but also what you’re going to do, how much time it will take, and what you’re going to give up to reach them. It is 100% voluntary. You create the terms and it’s up to you to follow them. You can get it if you want it.

Go Step By Step

How do you bake a cake? How do you buy a home? How do you tie a tie? The answer to these questions all requires steps to be followed in order to successfully complete the task. Your fitness journey is no different. There is an end that you intend to reach, but there will be checkpoints along the way in order to get there.

Step 1: Determine the macro. What is your ultimate goal?

Step 2: Determine the micro. You need to break the larger picture down into smaller pieces like a puzzle. What are the things you must do in order to achieve your goal?

Step 3: Begin to execute. Act upon these plans. Be sure not to take on too much at once because it might cause discouragement. Work at a manageable rate.

Step 4: Review your progress. From time to time you need to stop and look around. Are you going in the right direction? Can you do more? Do you need to do less? What have you learned? Understand where you are on your journey and determine if any changes need to be made.

Step 5: Adjust as necessary. If your review reveals you’re perfect and right on schedule, continue as you were.

Step 6: Continue to execute. Go back to step 3 and continue executing until you reach your goal.

During this process, you might realize something you either need to tweak, cut or add to your plan. This is not a bad thing. Remember to enjoy the process and take it one day at a time. 

Understand that failing is a part of your journey, but failing doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you experienced.

Remember Failure is Part of the Process

Someone once said, “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” This is how we wish life worked. It’s the path of least resistance and requires the least work with little to no setbacks.

Spoiler alert: this is not how life works.

I am currently reading, Talent Is Overrated, a book about how the elite in our society become that way. The author speaks of an Olympic gold medal figure skater named Shizuka Arakawa. In order to be the best skater you must be able to complete moves most people would think is impossible and because they are so difficult must spend a great number of hours working on them.

It is estimated that on her road to the podium she hit the ice at least 20,000 times. How many times do you fail at something before you give up? Can you say you’ve put in 1,000 days of effort? A solid month? Our setbacks often discourage us from fulfilling our mission because the idea of failure seems too great.

People who are successful in life aren’t actually better than you, they simply don’t turn away when the wind blows in their faces. They keep striving for what they want which then becomes easier to obtain. Understand that failing is a part of your journey, but failing doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you experienced. Learn and get better.

Commit

Go back and read each sub-heading again. All of them contribute to this final point about commitment.

There is an old story about a general sailing to an island with his troops to go into battle. The army they would face was vast and strong. The odds were against them. Upon arrival, the general gave the order to set the boats on fire. “You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice—we win, or we perish!” They won.

This story speaks to the attitude you need to have in order to win. It is not enough to desire a thing, it must become your conviction that you have no other option but to attain it. This mindset provides you with a “no retreat no surrender”. A powerful real-world application of this approach is to fuse your goal with a greater purpose or emotion. Example: I want to improve the strength of my heart so I live long enough to walk my daughter down the aisle. This won’t make achieving your goal any easier, but it will make it much more difficult for you to justify quitting when the reason you’re doing it is larger than your feelings in a moment of weakness.

As soon as you make the decision to improve your body and health begin to attack the task. Plan out your diets and workouts. Choose a mentor or workout buddy. Track your progress. Most importantly get your workouts done, no excuses! It won’t happen overnight but you have the ability to reshape your body with time, training, and proper nutrition.

You can do it. Now go get to work.

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Sources:

Cain, M. (2013, March 14). 6 Ways To Achieve Any Goal. Retrieved December 27, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/glassheel/2013/03/14/6-ways-to-achieve-any-goal/#2e105df5338b

Colvin, G. (2008). Talent is overrated: what really separates world-class performers from everybody else. New York: Portfolio.

Connors, R., & Smith, T. (2015, January 12). 10 Steps to Achieve Any Goal. Retrieved December 28, 2016, from http://www.success.com/article/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal

Hill, N. (1960). Think and grow rich. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications.

Sean Combs’ 2014 Howard University Commencement Speech. (2014, May 10). Retrieved December 28, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTa7Bl_eUt8

Sivers, D. (2010, July). Retrieved December 26, 2016, from https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself

We Think in Pictures. ME AND MONEY Bob Proctor. (2015, April 23). Retrieved December 27, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqXqf4WSJqI