LET’S TALK GOALS
Photo by Fletcher Wold / the Advocate
“Deniqua, you convinced me. I want to start exercising every day, but where do I start?” you ask. Or maybe nobody is saying that… moving forward..
I am here to help. I have gone through the same process as anyone else who decides to begin a new lifestyle that incorporates exercise into every day, but I had to learn everything myself, without any guidance. Which makes me more than happy to pass the information I’ve garnered on to others.
To begin, I feel the most important thing is setting personal goals. So, let’s talk about goals.
A great way to set goals is to establish an overarching goal first. For instance, “I want to run a mile” (this was actually a personal goal of mine). This is the all-encompassing goal because, if you are not already an experienced runner, no one expects you to up and run a mile on the first day, heck you may not even be able to run a quarter-mile. I sure as goodness couldn’t, and you shouldn’t expect that of yourself, either.
Setting unmanageable, unrealistic, and unachievable goals will likely lead you to burn out and quit before you’ve made any serious headway.
That doesn’t mean it’s bad to have big goals. I think it’s great to dream big because I think that’s the only way to ‘achieve big’.
If you’ve set a comprehensive goal, it is now time to set mini-goals within your overall goal. If you can’t yet run a quarter-mile, start with a tenth of a mile and move up (maybe in increments of .05 miles). Even if the small goals you set seem a little pointless, or even undeserving of celebration, be proud of yourself. You can’t change your life overnight, and you can’t run a mile in a day.
This applies to everything in life: If you expect too much of yourself, you’ll end up disappointed and beating yourself up. You may even feel like you aren’t good enough, or wonder why you feel like a quitter, and that’s just bad for the psyche.
Remember to celebrate the small achievements, too. Every step brings you closer to the top.
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