By Mekita Rivas, VIDA Fitness
The beginning of the year is often filled with lots of promise and lofty ambitions for the weeks and months ahead. People are making resolutions, identifying priorities, and devising action plans to reach their goals. But there’s much more to goal-setting than simply sitting down and writing (or typing) them out. How you set goals is actually just as important, if not more so, than the goals themselves.
“Anyone creating a goal needs to go into it understanding that they should break down the goal they’ve established into smaller goals,” explains Erik Strouse, general manager at VIDA Fitness The Yards. “People often set a main goal, and it can be too difficult or too out of their reach to keep.”
The beginning of the year is often filled with lots of promise and lofty ambitions for the weeks and months ahead. People are making resolutions, identifying priorities, and devising action plans to reach their goals. But there’s much more to goal-setting than simply sitting down and writing (or typing) them out. How you set goals is actually just as important, if not more so, than the goals themselves.
“Anyone creating a goal needs to go into it understanding that they should break down the goal they’ve established into smaller goals,” explains Erik Strouse, general manager at VIDA Fitness The Yards. “People often set a main goal, and it can be too difficult or too out of their reach to keep.”
Strouse stresses that creating a realistic timeline is key. “Attainability is really important to keep in mind. Breaking down one big goal into smaller, more attainable goals helps ensure that you’ll stay on track and get where you want to go.”
In other words, running a 5K next week when you haven’t gone running in years might not be such a great idea. On the other hand, if you make it a goal to run one mile every week for a few months, you’ll run that 5K in no time (and you’ll be less likely to get injured in the process).
Also crucial? Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals simultaneously. “I’m in the camp of hyper-focusing your actions toward one specific thing,” Strouse says. “Conquer that one thing, because if you try to multitask and try to do everything at once, you tend to water down your results.”
And, setting and attaining your personal wellness goals isn’t just good for you. Reaching your personal wellness goals, as well as encouraging employees and colleagues to go after goals of their own, can do wonders for your business. According to Entrepreneur, staying active reduces stress levels and provides those necessary endorphins that keep you focused and less prone to burnout.
Another added benefit is that fitness “helps in cognitive health or executive functioning.” In other words, you’re more likely to manage the many different areas of your life (and business) in the most optimal and efficient way. “When you focus on diet and exercise, you will feel the benefits within your brain,” says Entrepreneur. “You get rid of the fog that clouds your brain and memory, and your cognitive functions are sharper than they have ever been. Exercise helps create new brain cells, and thus new neural pathways. This is called Neurogenesis. This keeps you ahead of your game and helps you think out of the box.”
In addition to the added creativity and focus boosts, creating a culture of wellness in both your home and work life is a good idea because, well, it’s good for you. And if there’s one goal you should have on your list for this year, it should definitely be that.
In other words, running a 5K next week when you haven’t gone running in years might not be such a great idea. On the other hand, if you make it a goal to run one mile every week for a few months, you’ll run that 5K in no time (and you’ll be less likely to get injured in the process).
Also crucial? Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals simultaneously. “I’m in the camp of hyper-focusing your actions toward one specific thing,” Strouse says. “Conquer that one thing, because if you try to multitask and try to do everything at once, you tend to water down your results.”
And, setting and attaining your personal wellness goals isn’t just good for you. Reaching your personal wellness goals, as well as encouraging employees and colleagues to go after goals of their own, can do wonders for your business. According to Entrepreneur, staying active reduces stress levels and provides those necessary endorphins that keep you focused and less prone to burnout.
Another added benefit is that fitness “helps in cognitive health or executive functioning.” In other words, you’re more likely to manage the many different areas of your life (and business) in the most optimal and efficient way. “When you focus on diet and exercise, you will feel the benefits within your brain,” says Entrepreneur. “You get rid of the fog that clouds your brain and memory, and your cognitive functions are sharper than they have ever been. Exercise helps create new brain cells, and thus new neural pathways. This is called Neurogenesis. This keeps you ahead of your game and helps you think out of the box.”
In addition to the added creativity and focus boosts, creating a culture of wellness in both your home and work life is a good idea because, well, it’s good for you. And if there’s one goal you should have on your list for this year, it should definitely be that.
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