There's a trick or two in turning those good intentions into action.
Welcome back to a new year.
Some of the Fit for Life team have been busy working as per usual and some of us have been relaxing, reflecting on 2014 and having a think about the year ahead.
It's a great time to take stock of how last year was for you.
What went well, what didn't?
Are there things you'd like to change, activities you'd like to pick up or give up?
Is there a challenge you'd like to work towards achieving?
Traditionally, people wax lyrical about setting New Year's resolutions in January, as they embark on getting fitter, eating better, learning a new language, tidying the garage ... the list goes on.
The trouble with off-the-cuff resolutions is they aren't often very well-planned and don't fit in with what we have time to achieve or what we really want to achieve.
I prefer to have three or four goals I'm working towards for a year.
One might be a health goal, perhaps eating more unprocessed food; another a house goal, maybe getting an area paved and planted; another a work goal, such as improving a specific skill; and definitely a fun goal, for example, learning a new language, taking up a hobby or so on.
Elite athletes are a great example of people who set goals in order to achieve something.
Realistically, most of us won't be elite athletes.
However, how they get there can be of use to all of us, and not just for achieving on an exercise/sporting front but in our personal and professional lives too.
''How?'' I hear you ask.
It's all about having something to aim for, an intention or goal.
Yes, there it is again, that four-letter word - goal.
The word can be a bit off-putting.
If you don't like the word, don't use it.
Find another: an aim, an intention, an end point. What it's called doesn't really matter, but having one/some does.
So have a goal. Begin with the end in mind. Be very clear about what it is you want to achieve.
Secondly, do something that will move you towards achieving that goal every day, not just now and then, but every day.
Small incremental steps add up.
That's how the athletes, or anyone who achieves something in their life, get their results. Goal + Right Action = Results.
Here are some tips to guide you when setting your goals.
Identify goals or intentions that are ''Fit for Life SMART''Specific - what you want to achieve, why, who's involved?
Measurable - how will you know when you've achieved your goal?
Authentic - what you want to achieve, and based around your values, not what anyone else thinks you should be doing/achieving.
Realistic - able to be achieved with your resources and timeframe.
Timeframe - long enough to let you accomplish your goal but not unlimited!
Use the ''Five Goals'' sheet to list your goals and fill out a ''Goal Plan of Action'' sheet for each one.
Write goals or intentions in a positive way (about what you're aiming to achieve, not about what you don't want in your life).
Feel energised and enthusiastic about the goals and intentions you set (if you're not, then ask if this is the right goal for you).
Be prepared to create an environment that makes winning easy (figure our how you might sabotage yourself and plan how to avoid doing this. Enlist the help of people who support you).
Be prepared to take action (all talk and no action is, well, just talk).
It can be a bit overwhelming, deciding what you want to focus on and then planning how to get there.
Look at the wheel of life exercise at www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/317268/becoming-little-more-well-rounded and use that to give you some ideas.
So get to it, set yourself some goals and achieve.
• Jan Aitken is a Dunedin-based life coach. For more, visit www.fitforlifecoaches.co.nz.
