Goal Setting
Goal setting is crucial for making progress in fitness, but also applies to any other improvements you are looking to make in your life. Taking the proper approach can help you achieve what you what! The S.M.A.R.T. method of setting goal is extremely simple and effective. It also forces you to think through your goals more than you would otherwise.
Another aspect you should be cognoscenti of is the differentiation between "instrumental" and "terminal" goals. A terminal goal is the end result you what to achieve and should be your primary focus. Instrumental goals are the smaller goals that you need to achieve in order to eventually achieve your terminal goal. You have you can alter, modify, and update your instrumental goals as you go when influences outside your control force you to. Be rigid with your terminal goals and flexible with your instrumental goals.
Try using the S.M.A.R.T. goals worksheet below!
- S - Specific
- Your goal should be simplistically written and clearly define what your are going to do.
- Your goal should be simplistically written and clearly define what your are going to do.
- M - Measurable
- Your goals should be measurable so that your have tangible evidence that you have accomplished the goal.
- Your goals should be measurable so that your have tangible evidence that you have accomplished the goal.
- A - Achievable
- Your goal should be achievable; it should stretch you slightly so you feel challenged, but defined well enough so that you can achieve it.
- R - Results-Focused
- Your goal should measure outcomes not activities.
- Your goal should measure outcomes not activities.
- T - Time-Bound
- Your goal should be linked to a time frame that creates a practical sense of urgency, or results in tension between current reality and the vision of the goal.
- Your goal should be linked to a time frame that creates a practical sense of urgency, or results in tension between current reality and the vision of the goal.
Another aspect you should be cognoscenti of is the differentiation between "instrumental" and "terminal" goals. A terminal goal is the end result you what to achieve and should be your primary focus. Instrumental goals are the smaller goals that you need to achieve in order to eventually achieve your terminal goal. You have you can alter, modify, and update your instrumental goals as you go when influences outside your control force you to. Be rigid with your terminal goals and flexible with your instrumental goals.
Try using the S.M.A.R.T. goals worksheet below!
| writing_smart_goals.pdf |
Sleep
Sleep is one of the most crucial, and unfortunately overlooked, aspect of health and fitness. Sleep is when the body recovers and repairs. It plays a role in both physical and psychological well-being. Often times people view getting adequate sleep as a sign of laziness or they view giving up sleep a sign of dedication, neither is necessarily true. Lack of sleep reduces mental acuity and physical development and should be a priority.
Generally speaking, 8 hours a night is usually considered the proper amount of sleep. Sometimes sleeping longer than this can be necessary to balance out extended periods or reduced sleep. Quality of sleep is also just as important as quantity. Below are a few tips for improving quality of sleep.
Generally speaking, 8 hours a night is usually considered the proper amount of sleep. Sometimes sleeping longer than this can be necessary to balance out extended periods or reduced sleep. Quality of sleep is also just as important as quantity. Below are a few tips for improving quality of sleep.
- Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time everyday. Being on a regular schedule will allow you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep through the night.
- Avoid screens as much as possible before bed. Most screens on phones, computers, and TVs produce "blue light" which signals the body to be awake and alert, making falling asleep more difficult and preventing REM sleep (glasses that block blue light are available many places online and can prevent this if you can't avoid screens prior to sleep).
- Avoid eating for 2 hours prior to sleeping. Having food in your stomach will force your digestive system, which usually is minimally active during sleep, to be active.
- Avoid watching TV or reading in bed. Doing so keeps your brain active and your body will associate this with being in bed making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Note on snoring: The majority of people who snore to a significant degree suffer from sleep apnea which can be damaging to their health as well as their sleep quality.
Meditation
Meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, has been shown to improve numerous aspects of physical and mental well-being such as stress, anxiety, critical thinking, empathy, among others. Below is a quick step by step guide to meditation.
20 Minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night is the optimal recommendation for daily mediation, but as little as 5 minutes a day can make a difference. Mediation is often frustrating at the start and your are most likely going to think you are wasting your time, but it is a skill and like any other skill it takes time and practice. Luckily you can still receive the benefits of mediation without being a master at it!
- Sit comfortably, with your spine erect, either in chair or cross-legged on a cushion.
- Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or floor. Notice the sensations associated with sitting—feelings of pressure, warmth, tingling, vibration, etc.
- Gradually become aware of the process of breathing. Pay attention to wherever you feel the breath most clearly—either at the nostrils, or in the rising and falling your abdomen.
- Allow your attention to rest in the mere sensation of breathing. (There is no need to control your breath. Just let it come and go naturally.
- Every time your mind wanders in thought, gently return it to the sensation of breathing.
- As you focus on the breath, you will notice that other perceptions and sensations continue to appear: sounds, feelings in the body, emotions, etc. Simply notice these phenomena as they emerge in the field of awareness, and then return to the sensation of breathing.
- The moment you observe that you have been lost in thought, notice the present thought itself as an object of consciousness. Then return your attention to the breath—or to whatever sounds or sensations arise in the next moment.
- Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness—sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, and even thoughts themselves—as they arise and pass away.
20 Minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night is the optimal recommendation for daily mediation, but as little as 5 minutes a day can make a difference. Mediation is often frustrating at the start and your are most likely going to think you are wasting your time, but it is a skill and like any other skill it takes time and practice. Luckily you can still receive the benefits of mediation without being a master at it!