Active Living

Goal setting isn't just for high-performing athletes. Having a goal can be really motivating - in all areas of life. Here are some ways you can make your goals work for you.

1. Have a defined goal. It helps to be clear about what you want to achieve and why. This will help you stay focused. And understanding why it's important to you will help keep you motivated - especially if things don't go according to plan. For example: "My goal is to play in a social volleyball league twice a week. This will help me to de-stress, so I don't take work worries home with me."
2. Give yourself a deadline. It also helps to be time-specific. With a target date in mind, you can plan more easily. Say your goal is to be able to run for 30 minutes non-stop, in a month's time. In week one you might start by running for 10 minutes on alternate days. Then upping the time to 15 minutes in week two, before gradually increasing the time in weeks three and four till you've reached 30 minutes.
3. Develop role models. Observing those you admire is a great strategy for achieving your goals. Whether it's a public figure, member of your family, workmate, friend, or neighbour. Try to model your behaviour on theirs. Observe what they do, and consider their philosophy. Could you make that work for you? You don't have to copy them exactly - just pick elements of their behaviour that make sense for you.
4. Think about roadblocks and ways around them. There may be something stopping you from achieving your goal that could be easily fixed. For example, if you normally stay at the office later than everyone else, you're probably too tired to go to the gym when you finally leave. So think about how you might leave the office in time for that 6pm class, or are there meetings you can get out of? Could you plan your day better? Or will it really hurt to leave whatever it is until tomorrow?