New Year’s Resolutions – Setting Goals that Stick

As a new year unfolds, it is natural to look forward and envision the successes we hope to have. At Strictly Business, we are believers in the power of clear and compelling goals. Here are some tools we have found that can make this your best year yet!

Clearly Define Your Goal and Start Today

Do not make the mistake of waiting to act on a goal. Make your goal clear and measurable, including setting a deadline. You are much more likely to achieve success if you know you want to lose 10 pounds by April 1 through tri-weekly morning runs than if you merely say your goal is to lose weight.

Tim Messina, gym manager at 9Round Fitness, shared his thoughts on the importance of creating a specific plan to master your goals.

“My biggest piece of advice is to have a plan in place!” he said. “Many people set New Year’s resolutions that are outcome-based, such as I want to lose 15 lbs. What often gets forgotten is how exactly you plan on achieving that outcome. Setting detailed process-based goals (e.g. “I will exercise after work three times per week for 30 minutes.”) will help you stay on the path toward self-improvement. The more specific and realistic you are with your goals, the more likely you are to find success. Write your plan down and put it somewhere you can see it every day, such as the bathroom mirror. Master the processes and the outcome will take care of itself.”

Tim and the rest of the team at 9Round Fitness know how challenging it can be for people to overcome longstanding habits of inactivity, both physically and mentally. They have intentionally designed their workouts to combat these challenges and optimize success.

“At 9Round Fitness, we provide solutions to many common obstacles that people find in establishing healthy habits,” Tim said. “In this day and age, people work longer hours than ever, and time is a precious commodity. Our workout is only 30-minutes long, and because of our circuit-style we also don’t have class times. That means we’re on YOUR schedule! Another roadblock is boredom or staleness, and we combat that by switching up the workout every day. Finally, some are hesitant to attack their fitness goals simply because they don’t know where to start. At 9Round, there are always trainers available to take you through the workout. We work with members of all fitness levels and make sure you’re performing exercises safely. Finally, we provide that extra motivation and energy needed to make fitness a part of your identity.”

Working with energetic and driven professionals like the staff at 9Round Fitness is a sure way to help anyone carry out a plan to achieve new goals.

Write Down Your Goals and Keep them Visible

Did you know you are 42% more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down than if you do not? That’s a huge increase in the probability of success for such a small effort! Whether you tape something on a kitchen cabinet, keep a vision board on the wall in your office, or have a bright pink stinky note that you always move to the next page in your planner, you need to be seeing and reviewing your goals on a daily basis. Out of sight, out of mind they always say. We have learned the opposite is true as well.

Lashasta Messinger with Elite Home Cleaning Services understands the power of defining your goals and writing them down. She shared her thoughts on achieving success in your resolutions.

“To set realistic and obtainable goals, set goals that are not only important to you, but focus on making positive life changes,” she said. “Make sure to take the time to write your goals down, how you plan to achieve them, as well as a deadline. It’s important to hold yourself accountable. When setting goals, never have the mindset of ‘the bigger, the better,’ and keep to small and achievable goals.”

Lashasta believes in leveraging the resources of experts who can look to tasks that, though important, may draw you away from your goals and the things you most want to spend your time doing.

“In today’s society, we are constantly on the go between work, school, and sports games. There never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done that we would like to. This causes things to start piling up and we end up spending the majority of our weekend catching up on laundry, shopping, and cleaning. This steals from the opportunity to do more of the things we really enjoy, like spending time with our families, going to the gym, or even just relaxing with a good book,” she said. “This is where Elite Home Cleaning Services comes in. We are a full cleaning service that also specializes in helping our clients become organized and clutter free. Organizational skills are a great habit to have and also help to reduce or eliminate any unnecessary stress.”

Getting help with certain tasks and responsibilities can free your time and energy so you can continue moving toward the prize on the horizon.

Set Goals That Benefit You in Multiple Areas

Something that many people don’t think about when setting goals is the impact a single goal could potentially have on multiple areas of your life. Many performance coaches recommend simultaneously working toward goals in a variety of areas such as social/relationships, intellectual, spiritual, physical, financial, etc. because it’s important to be balanced and healthy in all areas of life if you want to maintain the momentum and energy to keep moving forward. If this thought overwhelms you, consider that many times a single goal will affect many, if not all, of these areas in a positive way.

Ann Ringlein with Lincoln Running Co. shared her experience of watching people achieve benefits in many areas of life through adopting a single healthy habit:

“Many people don’t realize they are embarking on a life-changing journey when they decide to start biking or running,” she said. “A person who has been sick or low in energy for years could suddenly be brimming with health and vitality after a short time of consistent effort. What’s more, bringing these practices into your life will do more than just improve your health and increase your energy. The mental health benefits of exercise (especially exercise outdoors!) are real. Many people also experience a surge of motivation to take up other positive habits when their health improves through good exercise. Your life will thank you for the effort!

Lincoln Running Co. provides products and services to help you in all your running and biking endeavors, including great shoes for any person and any type of workout; training classes, many through the downtown YMCA (Beginning January 9, we are offering a class that meets three times a week at the YMCA. Attendees will learn from speakers who will guide runners through all they need to do to complete the upcoming Lincoln Marathon/Half Marathon); and advice! We are all passionate runners and bikers at Lincoln Running Co., and we want everyone to succeed. We offer as much or as little advice as you need.”

The staff at Lincoln Running Co. are enthusiastic about their area of expertise, especially because they understand how beneficial it can be to a person’s life!

Express Life Chiropractic is another company that understands that sometimes it’s necessary to focus on a single, specific area of need in order to become unblocked you so you are able to work toward success in multiple areas of life. This is never more true than when someone is struggling with back pain or alignment issues. A simple adjustment can bring a sense of balance to your body, and consequently, your life, so you are ready to conquer whatever comes your way!

Express Life Chiropractic specializes in neurologically-based chiropractic corrective care for the entire family: pediatrics, pre-natal, and athletes. Drs. Troy and Ashley Hayes have improved the lives of many through their neurologically-based corrective care. The mission of Express Life is to help the community achieve optimal health naturally, express life, and restore hope through principled chiropractic care as well as encouraging everyone to embrace their non-interfered, God-given, true health potential. They know the power a little chiropractic care can have in bringing people’s lives back to a good place and freeing up energy for achieving greater levels of success and wellness.

Find an Accountability Partner

If you have already set clear goals in essential areas of your life and you’re still struggling to achieve success, it may be time to enlist the help of an accountability partner. Jeff Madsen with Right Foot Forward Fitness shared his thoughts on boosting your chances of success with the help of an accountability partner.

“You often hear that creating specific, measurable goals and setting deadlines is the key to success,” he said. “That’s half the battle…maybe more, but don’t forget about having an accountability partner. This could be a personal trainer, a friend, or a spouse. You need to give someone permission to help you reach your short-term goals and speak into your life. Making others aware of your plans and purposely introducing an accountability element into your goal-setting will pull you through the hard times and let you reap the benefits of being consistent. Set yourself up for success ahead of time and you won’t be full of regret next year!

Also remember that people oftentimes throw themselves into their goals in a way that isn’t sustainable. Can you exercise reliably for two days per week and sustain that over the weeks and months? If so, that’s far better than exercising three or more days per week for the first month and then stopping for the rest of the year. Remember, small hinges swing large doors! At Right Foot Forward Fitness we help people to set up effective and safe exercise programs coupled with advice and accountability on their dietary choices. We advise people to have really big long-term goals coupled with realistic and achievable short-term goals. It gives people a chance to score a win and build some momentum. The same habits that help you lose that first ten pounds will keep helping you as you eventually lose the next 40 lbs.”

If you’ve set fitness goals for yourself and you don’t already have people in your life who can be your accountability partners in this area, we recommend connecting with Capital City Fitness & Performance. They are the only Training for Warriors (TFW) affiliate in Lincoln. What separates the TFW system from other training programs is its culture. Although TFW encompasses signature warm-ups, speed training, strength training, endurance training, flexibility work, and nutrition, the most important component of the system is its enjoyable, motivational approach, and family environment.

Regardless of your current fitness level, TFW can help you. The fun and exciting workouts of the TFW system are designed to help you develop the muscular strength, endurance, and the mental fortitude needed to take on life’s challenges and reach your fitness goals. It’s all a part of their philosophy of “Bringing out the Warrior Within.” The TFW system really works because you’re provided with a community of warmth, tools, and support so you don’t have to face your challenges all alone.

Make Your Goals Compelling

No matter how perfect your plan for success or encouraging your support group, if your goals aren’t compelling and meaningful to you, chances are you will not get very far in achieving them. Jeff Johnson with Johnson Chiropractic & Acupuncture shared with us why he thinks it is so important to set goals that matter.

“If you want to make a positive change in your life, work on something you really care about. You will need this incentive to keep you moving forward through challenging moments in achieving your goal. Adapt your efforts to fit your personal preferences. If you have an exercise goal and you hate running on the treadmill, then don’t! Go kickboxing or take a hike. Also, be realistic—plan to exercise two or three times a week instead of setting yourself up for failure by expecting a daily workout. Little changes over time are always better than unrealistic goals that are unachievable.

For people who don’t know where to start, consulting a professional is always a good idea. Find someone who can guide you toward your goal, especially if you have a disability or extra needs. At Johnson Chiropractic, we have specialized training and stretching exercises proven to help even those with great physical limitations. We can help you get out of pain and feeling better so you can get back to a place where you feel ready to exercise on your own again. We can tailor a plan to fit your needs.”

Celebrate Your Victories, Big or Small

Celebrating success is an important part of maintaining motivation to move forward. Consider celebrating your successes by purchasing equipment for a new sport or exercise program. Play It Again Sports specializes in new and used fitness equipment and sporting goods. The concept allows customers to sell or trade in slightly used items for cash or other desired equipment. Play It Again Sports is all about recycling quality equipment. Their goal is to keep kids and adults in sporting activities or focused on fitness without breaking the bank.

Another great way to celebrate progress in achieving your goals is with the healing gift of massage. Erin McLenon with 5 Elements Massage believes that massage therapy is much more than just a luxury indulgence. “Massage therapy is an investment in your full creative expression, productivity, passion, and sustained good health,” said Erin. “A massage can help with depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, stress, insomnia, and many other issues we deal with daily. Therapeutic touch can change your world in many positive ways if utilized regularly. I encourage everyone to give regular massages a try. Invest in yourself and try even just one massage a month for three to four months. Watch it change your life!”

As you set clear goals and celebrate your successes, remember that there are skilled and caring professionals right here in Lincoln who can help you stay strong in your New Year’s Resolutions!