Motivation & Exercise Goal Setting
Motivation and exercise goal-setting are two significant components if you want to improve your health, lose weight or simply become healthier. Motivation is the driving force behind your efforts. Goals are the milestones you set for yourself to achieve. Used together, motivation and exercise goals can help you achieve your objective.
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The Facts
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People who set goals tend to be more successful when it comes to reaching them. Setting a goal helps the idea for success become more concrete in your mind. You will need an open mind when setting your goals because you don't need to set goals that are too difficult to reach. Be reasonable and reward yourself when you reach a milestone.
Significance
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Motivation is necessary to achieve any goal. When setting exercise goals, you need to stay motivated during times when you may feel tired, busy or when you hit a plateau. When you can see what you've done in the past to achieve success, you can work on the future. Goals and motivation work together to help you stick to a routine long enough to see results.
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Benefits
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Goal setting is important because it forces you to be mindful of what you're doing (or not doing). If you have a list of exercises you should be doing marked on your calendar, you will be more apt to do them because you are reminded of it every time you look at your calendar. When you write down goals, you also have a way of monitoring your progress, states the Mayo Clinic. Staying motivated comes easier when you see success on paper.
Time Frame
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Instead of setting one goal to lose 50 pounds in one year, break the goal down into smaller pieces, so you can enjoy moments of success. For example, instead of 50 pounds in one year, set a goal to lose one to two pounds per week. Seeing progress every week will encourage you to stay with your overall goal.
Types
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You can approach motivation and goal setting from different aspects. For example, writing goals down and keeping track every day can be motivating. You can also enlist the help of a friend with whom you can be accountable. Talking about your goals with someone else will help you stay focused. Using photographs is motivational when it comes to reaching your exercise goals. Visualization is also important to achieve any goal.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit female bodybuilder image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
