How to reach your fitness goals
12. Sep, 2011 
4 Comments
Ready to work out!
Getting fitter and healthier can be a struggle. We all know that!
But what if I told you that there’s a way you can improve your chances of achieving these goals?
Psychologists call it mental contrasting, a technique studied and developed by NYU Professor of Psychology, Gabriele Oettingen.
That’s where you think about how great it would be to reach a goal. Then, contrast that dream with your present reality, taking into account the obstacles to achieve that dream.
Finally, with feelings of success in your head, you’ll need to implement a strategy to achieve your goals.
Let’s say you would like to lose 20 pounds.
1. Visualize how great THAT would be, weighing 20 pounds less.
You’d move more easily and gracefully, perform better at sports, have more energy and endurance, pull on clothes more easily and look better in them. You’d feel okay about looking into the mirror every day.
You think you’d feel sexier and you’re pretty sure you’d be in a better mood, so your relationship with your significant other (and everyone else) would improve.
Maybe you feel you’d be taken more seriously at work. Or your parents would be pleased or your friends would admire you.
Life seems pretty good being 20 pounds thinner!
But, since it’s not enough just to fantasize about how great life would be…
2. Contrast that fantasy with your current reality.
Your clothes are tight and you’re pretty frustrated about that. You lack the energy to do much and it’s getting tougher doing all the chores you need to get done in a day. You’ve been grumpy with your family lately and haven’t felt too frisky or fun. You seem to get annoyed at little things. You certainly try to avoid looking in the full-length mirror when you can.
3. Then, determine what’s keeping you from achieving that goal of losing 20 pounds.
You don’t have time to prepare healthy meals. And you hate diet food. You eat at night because you’re stressed.
In terms of exercise, you can’t afford a gym membership and you have no time to work out anyway. Your days are full.
4. Now, figure out if these obstacles are truly insurmountable…
Well, you’ve certainly been more cautious about your food intake in the past—even during stressful periods. You’ve cooked healthy meals and watched your snacking. And you used to have fun doing aerobics!
So it looks like you can accomplish your goal of losing 20 pounds.
Great! It’s critical that you expect to succeed at accomplishing your goal.
Because if you don’t, you might as well shelve that fantasy or it will drive you nuts!
5. …and make a plan.
On Sunday, you’ll spend an hour or so cooking up some healthy meals to use for leftovers during the week.
On your next grocery day, you’ll buy bagged lettuce for salads and fruits and nuts to snack on during the day.
After dinner, you’ll get out of the kitchen and take a relaxing bath. You’ll make yourself a cup of chamomile tea each night so you’ll have that to sip on. It will minimize your cravings.
You’ll set your alarm clock 45 minutes earlier each weekday so you can go out for a half-hour walk or do a yoga video or a short weight-training session.
You’ll sign up for an aerobics class on Saturday morning.
The more “automated” you make your plans and strategies, the more you increase your chances of reaching your goal.
So…try it. I am!
I’ve got a couple of goals I’m going to play with this way. I’ll let you know if how it goes. And please let me hear from you!
- Have you ever tried this kind of strategy in shooting for goals? Was it successful?
- Do you generally achieve your goals? Either way, how do you account for that?
- If you’ve been successful in the past, do you believe you can be successful in the future?
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I haven’t used a strategy like this before, but I’m definitely going to try it—sometimes I set goals and sometimes I just send myself in a general direction… I have a specific client in mind who I think will benefit from this—thanks!
I almost feel as though this post was written just for me!
I’m two months into my rehab from arthroscopic hip surgery. I look at my body now and pictures of what it used to look like when I was fit, and I think, Ugh!
But as you say, we need to make a plan and stick to it. I have one (or rather one was created for me by my doctor and physical therapist), but when I’m not in PT, it’s sometimes hard to stick to it and do these exercises on my own.
I’ve gotten into a habit of NOT going to the gym, because my rehab plan wouldn’t allow me initially. But now I have no excuse.
Thanks, Lisa. Whatever works, I’m all for!
I tend to do fine in some areas (automate my gym time and workouts), but not others (saving money, paying down debt). Going to try this strategy on that especially!
Thanks, Vivian!
If you can make it to the gym, or automate your PT exercises, great! I’m sure you’ll feel better. Glad to hear you’re on the mend!