The First Step

As you gear up to take that first leap into a lifetime of fitness, the first step is always the most daunting. By setting goals for yourself you create a lifeline that keeps you walking straight on your journey. However, the best goals are those that are S.M.A.R.T. - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. You can read more about SMART goals by visiting: www.topachievement.com/smart.html

Many times, our final goal is so far down the twisting road ahead, we lose sight of it. The best way to stay motivated is to break your path down into smaller trails, where a beginning and end is in sight. A great way to do this is to work backwards; start by writing your end goal down on a piece of paper. Then figure out what previous step you took to get there. Continue to do this until you get to the starting point where you are today. Looking at your list you should have a path of obtainable, smaller goals. Now you can leap from one to the next, as you move towards your finish line.

Staying motivated means setting SMART (decide if you are going to use SMART or S.M.A.R.T. and keep it consistent through the whole piece) goals- your challenge for the week is to sit down and map your trail of goals to your finish line. Remember, a journey starts with a single step.