Tag: Goal Setting

Posted on

Navigating Fitness Goals: A Professor’s Perspective

Written on February 26, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

As the year began, I embarked on a fitness journey, meticulously crafting an exercise regimen to meet my annual objectives. This endeavor progressed smoothly until an unexpected setback occurred—I sustained an injury during my workouts. This incident led me to realize that perhaps my physique had yet to adapt to the demands of my newly formulated workout plan. Upon resuming my entire exercise routine, I recognized the necessity to reassess and adjust the intensity of my schedule to better accommodate my current physical capabilities.

The essence of achieving any goal lies in creating a memorable and trackable strategy. This is a lesson I frequently impart to my students at the university. Despite its apparent simplicity, it’s astonishing how often this principle is overlooked, resulting in many falling short of their ambitions. When I applied this methodology to my fitness regimen, the tangible outcomes began to manifest, prompting a thorough evaluation of my previous efforts and outcomes.

Reflecting on my journey, it became evident that my earlier injury likely resulted from overly ambitious increments in the weights I used for curls. After conducting thorough research and contemplation, I devised a more calculated approach to increasing weights. I resolved that only when I could complete 25 repetitions of a curl with a given weight without interruption would I consider advancing to a heavier weight. Conversely, I would reduce the weight if I struggled to perform at least 15 curls. My daily target would be between 20 to 25 repetitions, with Saturdays designated as the day to assess whether I was prepared to elevate the intensity of my workout.

This revised strategy serves dual purposes. Firstly, it ensures that I do not prematurely escalate the difficulty of my exercises, thereby mitigating the risk of injury. Secondly, it provides a structured framework to consistently monitor my progress and adjust as needed. This balanced approach encourages gradual improvement while safeguarding against the pitfalls of overexertion. The actual test of this method’s efficacy will be observed in the coming months as I continue to navigate the challenges and triumphs of my fitness journey.

In retrospect, this experience underscores the importance of listening to one’s body and acknowledging the signals it provides. The journey toward fitness and health is uniquely personal, requiring a bespoke approach considering individual capabilities, limitations, and aspirations. By adopting a more reflective and measured stance towards exercise, I am hopeful that I will achieve my fitness goals and foster a sustainable and enjoyable relationship with physical activity.

Posted on

Navigating Obstacles on the Path to Fitness Goals

Written on February 7, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

Embarking on a journey toward a fitness goal can often feel like setting sail into a storm. No matter the depth of commitment or the precision of planning, unforeseen challenges emerge, ready to test our resolve. This has been my reality, particularly in enhancing my physical strength through a rigorous muscle exercise regimen.

It’s been over a year since I initiated this quest, beginning with pull-ups before progressively integrating core muscle exercises into my routine. My dedication mirrored my commitment to running, hardly ever missing a day unless circumstances made accessing my exercise equipment utterly impossible.

At the dawn of this year, I laid out a meticulous exercise plan, pledging unwavering allegiance to it. This commitment bore fruit, as only a day went by with me adhering to my regimen. However, recent days have seen wavering in this steadfastness, prompting me to reconsider aspects of my training program.

The catalyst for this reevaluation has been an injury, a stark reminder of the physical toll that such a regimen can exact. A few weeks ago, in my zeal, I overstrained a muscle, resulting in lingering pain that has scarcely improved. Initially, I attempted to soldier on, moderating the intensity of my workouts. Yet, the mere act of performing a single dip would reignite the pain, leading me to the realization that continuing my exercises might do more harm than good.

In response to this setback, I’ve crafted a new strategy to navigate this period of uncertainty. Until the pain subsides completely, I’ve forego curls and dips, exacerbating my discomfort. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic about continuing with pull-ups, pullovers, push-ups, and planks. I hope this adaptation will continue my progress.

This temporary suspension of specific exercises forces me to confront the possibility of recalibrating the pace at which I increase weights and repetitions. The injury suggests that my body requires more than a week to sufficiently recover and strengthen before taking on more significant challenges.

Life, in its unpredictability, mirrors this journey. Altering my plan does not signify defeat but rather an adaptive strategy to ensure I continue moving toward my objectives, albeit at a modified pace. Such is the nature of pursuing any goal: it demands flexibility, resilience, and the wisdom to recognize when to push forward and step back for long-term success.

This experience underscores a fundamental truth in pursuing fitness or any personal endeavor: the path to achievement is seldom linear. Obstacles, be they injuries or other unforeseen challenges, are not roadblocks but detours necessitating patience, adaptability, and perseverance. As I navigate this hiccup in my fitness journey, the lesson is clear – resilience in the face of adversity is about enduring and evolving in response to the challenges we encounter.

Posted on

The Power of Routine: A Personal Journey of Supporting a Loved One

Hello, Dear readers,

After experiencing a stroke and losing my job, I made a heartfelt commitment to support my wife in any way I could. She transitioned into the role of the primary earner for our small household, excelling in her work far beyond the call of duty. Her hard work has not gone unnoticed; she’s earned numerous corporate awards and sees significant raises nearly yearly. Given her dedication, I make it a point to shoulder any chores or tasks she might otherwise feel obligated to do. This decision has allowed me to hone habit formation and routine building.

While I still need to fill my week with tasks, the possibility looms. There might come a day when I have to scale back or adjust my routine, perhaps rotating some monthly chores instead of tackling them weekly. I recently had an affirming moment when I returned from a week-long vacation with my sisters. My wife exclaimed those certain chores had gone undone in my absence. Although she managed to cover most bases, routine tasks awaited me. I saw this as a triumph, indicating that my efforts lighten her load. My system successfully achieves its intended purpose, which is as much as one can hope for.

Periodic evaluation of my routines is crucial. I need to assess whether they align with their intended goals or if some need to be modified or scrapped. This doesn’t require constant attention but should be an annual exercise. Over the past few years, my wife and I have discussed our significant goals for the coming 12 months around the New Year. This reflective moment is an excellent opportunity to review the efficacy of my established routines and habits.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I hope my experiences offer you some valuable insights into the importance of thoughtful habit formation.

Posted on

Goal-Setting 101: How to Use Rules and Triggers for Habit Building

t helps to determine rules and triggers to develop and maintain your habits. As with my running goal last year, I knew that sometimes events would conspire against me being able to meet my 35k per week goal. As such, I needed to determine some rules to play by. I had to ensure that my rules supported my plan rather than excuses I could fall back on. The first step I took in crafting my rules was to investigate what my goal was.

 

My goal was to run 35k per week, but I wanted to regain mobility endurance and support my health. Recognizing these as my real goals helped me create appropriate rules. For example, one of my rules is that I will not run if there is snow/ice on the ground. This rule would conflict if my true goal were the 35k per week. However, since my true goal is mobility, doing something that has a substantial risk of decreasing my mobility via a broken ankle from slipping/falling is counterproductive.

I tested all of my potential rules against my goals in this manner. Setting up rules like this is crucial because otherwise, I would be relying on Ad Hoc decisions, which are too easily influenced by current emotions.

As much as I wanted to achieve my actual goals and that I became focused on reaching 35k each week, there were plenty of days when I dreaded running, and it took great effort to force myself to go out. If I had not established a strict running schedule on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, I probably would have made excuses and failed to achieve my goal by missing too many days.

The other half of this equation is setting up triggers. Triggers are events or times that prompt a response or when to apply a rule. Every run day, my trigger for getting ready for running is after I use the bathroom. Every morning, after breakfast and coffee, I’ll eventually have to use the toilet; I use this as my trigger for running. After I use the bathroom, I change into my running clothes instead of returning to my computer. My no running on snow ice rule is triggered by looking out the front door when I get my second cup of coffee. If there’s snow/ice visible on my ground now, I cancel my run.

So when trying to develop your habits, First figure out your actual goals and test your habit ideas against your real goals. Second, build your ruleset so you’re not relying on feelings or motivation, and be strict with your rules. Don’t give yourself any excuses for ignoring your rules. You might need to create a new rule if you can’t do the desired behavior. Just ensure you test this new rule against your goals. Finally, make your triggers. Use alarms on your phone if you can’t find commonly occurring events.