Don’t let 2022 fly by – here’s exactly how to review and assess your January to increase your success throughout the year.
January might seem like a starter-month, but it’s just as important as any other month of the year. To avoid sleepwalking through Q1, make time to review how January has gone, what worked and what didn’t, and how to refine your fitness plans for the rest of 2022.
Revisit your goal
The first step is to reconnect with your big 2022 fitness or weight loss goal. It’s important to do this regularly, so you retain that initial motivation. Write it down, then jot down a few sentences that clearly explain why it’s important to you. How will you feel? What difference will it make to your health? How will it impact your relationship, family, or career?
Review your commitments
Life can change overnight. Has your 2022 already spun off in an unpredicted direction? Take a moment to get clear about your work, family, and other commitments. This will help you form a realistic plan for the rest of the year (or at least the rest of Q1!)
Be honest about your success rate
Now look at how January’s exercise, training (and other relevant habits) measured up against your initial plan. No blame or beating yourself up. We’re aiming for a pragmatic honesty that can help you create a strategy you’ll be successful with. If you planned to exercise 4 x a week but extra work deadlines mean you can only do 2, work this into your plan.
Sketch out February, March, April
Now you can see what worked and what didn’t (and why), you will be able to draft out a food and fitness plan for the next 12 weeks. Get a big bit of paper or an online calendar and put in your workouts, walks, PT sessions, meal prep days and anything else relevant to your success. Need help with this? Please email me.
Create daily reminders
When I talk to clients about goal setting, I advise them to keep their big goal front and centre. For some this means a note on the fridge or in the purse; for others it’s a phone screen saver or calendar pop up. If you haven’t already done so, create a daily reminder of your goal. Personally I use google calendar (I outlined my method here).
Set your next mini goal
Research tells us that process goals have a higher success rate than outcome goals. In real terms, this means it’s more useful to focus on the step-by-step process of achieving your goal, than it is to focus solely on the end destination. Process goals encourage you to look at the behaviours, decisions, and systems that will set you up for success. What is the next logical small step you can make? That’s what to focus on now.
Make your goal public
Accountability is a hugely powerful success factor in goal setting. You don’t necessarily need to announce your fitness goal to Facebook, but you really should tell someone. Simply voicing your goal makes it more real, and makes you take responsibility for your actions. It’s important to tell someone whose time, input, or expertise you respect. If you haven’t got a coach, now might be the time to consider reaching out. Accountability is one of many things they will bring to your health and fitness journey.
My email inbox is always open if you want to talk about your short term or long term fitness goals – and I would be happy to hold you accountable!
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
References used in todays blog:
1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590857/
