4 Tips to Achieve Your GoalsEvery year people embark upon the journey of becoming more fit and healthy. Some are successful and others give up after hitting hurdles. Years ago, I decided to change my lifestyle and become healthier. The journey has not always been easy but I have continued to strive towards living a healthy life. So why do some people maintain their fitness goals and others struggle to make progress. The psychology behind fitness is simple! 1. Motivate yourself To stay focused on your fitness goals its important to avoid having negative thoughts or cognitions. According to the cognitive behavioral perspective, our thoughts and behaviors bidirectionally impact each other. If you want to stay focused, motivate yourself by using positive statements. Having negative thoughts can only lead you down the path of not making progress. For example, encouraging yourself by thinking "I can do it" is better than thinking "I will never be happy with my body". 2. Set goals Setting goal is an important part of making any change. If you have ever used a personal trainer or joined a gym. One of the first things they ask is "what is your goal". In setting fitness goals, it is important to start with small goals and to modify your goal as you make progress. I urge you to establish small goals that can be met over a short term. Being successful with meeting your goals will continue to motivate you to push forward. 3. Track your progress To work towards meeting your goals it is important that you track your progress and keep data. You can track your progress in a variety of ways. Some people choose to write things down in a notebook such as weight, body measurement, or amount of weights they lift. In this new technology age, many people choose to download fitness apps to their smart phone to monitor and track their progress. 4. Reward yourself Who doesn't like rewards? When striving to meet your fitness goals its a good idea to reward yourself for your hard work. If you're using some fitness or diet plan, they often use rewards in the form of a cheat day (eating whatever you love regardless of how healthy it is). Treat yourself for making progress No matter how you reward yourself. For more tips visit my Psychology Today blog post – 5 Tips for To Improve Your Health Status Copyright 2014 Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook!
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AuthorDr. Turner is a licensed psychologist with expertise in behavioral pediatrics, child mental health, disruptive behavior disorders, and minority mental health. He is also certified as a National Register Health Service Psychologist. Archives
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