Goal Setting – Checkpoint System

 

Keeping this one short today, this is a system I love to use for myself, but also with my clients.

Either I will help them lay the plan out, they will lay their plan out, or I will secretly lay the plan out based off of what they tell me they are trying to accomplish.

So the first rule is: Set your 1 year goal. 

What do you want to look, feel, be like in one year from now?

Leaner? Stronger? Healthier?

Whatever YOUR goal is, write it down in the bottom right hand corner of a page.

“Lose 20 pounds of fat”

This is your Year End Goal that we will now work towards.

I like to divide the year into quarters. So wherever we are currently at in time, this is Q1.

Now, on one side of the page will be your “what”, and one the other side will be your “how”.

What is WHAT you want to accomplish in Q1:

Look good in my bikini on the beach at spring break (obviously not my personal goal)

How is HOW you will accomplish that in Q1 which is also working towards your year end goal:

• Increase weight training workouts to 4x/week
• Cut back on junk calories/mindless snacks
• Start tracking food per. Mikes recommendations 

Then at the end of Q1 “how” you need to have a measurable goal that builds towards your year end:

Lose 5# of fat.

Simple enough? If your quarters are 3 months long – you now have 3 months to work towards that goal and establish habits that will get you there.

On to the next quarter: Q2 (summer in our example)

What?

Fit into my sexy red dress for a class reunion (again, not my personal goal 🙂

Have “shoulder definition”.

How?

• Continue workouts 4x/week
• Keep tracking food, clean up weekends
• Increase shoulder training volume in workouts with Mike
• Measurable Goal: lose another 5# of fat, add 1/2 inch to shoulders

Boom quarter 2 planned out. Then continue with Q3 and Q4, with Q4 being your YEAR END GOAL.

Make sure that each quarter builds up to the year end. Especially if you have a weight loss goal, split up that number into 4 quarters or even 12 months.

By breaking down a lofty goal, it can make it much more manageable and realistic along the way. Here is what it might look like:

 

Also, it will help you stay on track better by cutting down your plan to various checkpoints.

Spring break, reunions, vacations, weddings, etc. are all great mini checkpoints that definitely help keep people motivated. If you only give yourself one year end goal, you will continue to assume that you have plenty of time to get there, and you will start next week, and so on- and before you know it you have 1 week left and 20 pounds to lose…good luck.

So give this a try with whatever your goals are, and of course – once you set those goals – find a skilled professional who can help you put together a plan to get you there, don’t go at it alone.

Like what you read? Want to get up to date blog posts sent directly to your email? Sign up below!

[blog_subscription_form]

Stay healthy my friends,