Ladies are you in a slump?

Do you feel unmotivated, unfocused, or undetermined?

(I know it sounds like an infomercial but I promise I’m not about to sell you anything!)

If you’re feeling this way, join the party because I sure could use a good kick in the butt or two!

That’s why, in today’s post, I must express the importance of getting your butt in gear and setting goals!

My girlfriend and I were wondering why we were feeling so down and out and just so sluggish lately, when we realized (not only that we’re getting old) but that we’ve been slacking on our fitness goals!

This time last year, we were either busting out the Zumba moves with Beto, or blasting our butts away with Billy Blanks, and how could we forget good old Tony from P90X. I’m afraid to pop in one of our old workout videos in fear of Beto saying “que paso tu Booty!” or Billy Blanks jumping out and blasting my butt to the moon, or I could see Tony now, making me do frogs hops (boop-boop) until my legs fall off!

So you know what, I’ve decided this is it, I need to get it together!

I’m back on track with my fitness goals and I have my accountability partner (shout out to Crystal, heeey!) looking out for me.

So the point of this is, maybe you’re stuck in a slump, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to hit the gym because you may already have that down but maybe you need to set some goals to get you revved up and excited again.

A girl can never have too many shoes…oops I mean too many goals, as long as you set realistic ones and don’t overdue it, the results can be very rewarding. So here are some simple tips, that I find helpful when setting my own goals, that I thought I’d share with you:

First, you want to start off setting small goals, such as losing 5-10 lbs, eating healthier, budgeting your finances, etc., then set one or two big goals, such as going back to school, running a marathon, or losing 30 lbs. Write down your goal(s) and then work your way backwards, listing the main action steps necessary to achieve your goals. You’ll then want to break your main action steps down even further for more detail and then lastly, list the timeframe you would like to achieve them by.

An example would be for instance:
Goal: Lose 30 Lbs. (by xx day and xx time)
1. Main Action Step: Change diet (starting XX day and XX time)
a) Research and start nutritional plan (by xx day and xx time)
b) Plan meals and snacks (starting xx day and xx time)
c) Eat out less (twice a week or less starting xx day and xx time)
d) Count calories

2. Main Action Step: Exercise (3-4 times per week by xx day and xx time)
a) Start workout regimen (starting xx day and xx time)
b) Join gym (by xx day and xx time)
c) Hire personal trainer (by xx day and xx time)

Writing down your goals and listing specific action steps will help give you a realistic picture on what it’s going to take to reach this goal; listing a timeframe helps hold you accountable so you won’t slack off.

You’ll begin to focus on the progress of reaching the small goals instead of focusing only on the final outcome. Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to want to do something and not know where to start and I’ve learned if I just write down what needs to be done, it’s much easier to keep my butt in gear (sorry I refer to my butt a lot these days because well, with the lack of exercise lately, lets face it it’s hard to forget it’s there!)

Next, make sure you have an accountability partner. Now this doesn’t mean go out and announce to the world what you’re goals are, but instead, ask a friend or your spouse or someone you trust to help you keep your eye on the prize (you’ll definitely have days where you’ll need them.)

And lastly, be mentally and physically prepared to work hard, this is where we tend to fall short. You may be prepared to do the steps but then forget that sometimes those steps are going to be painful, you may get tired, you may have to face late nights or make sacrifices. If you prepare for this in advance and enlist a tough accountability partner, you’ll be set.

So go ahead, try it out, what goals will you set today?

As always, I’d love to hear about your goals and your progress along the way. If you have any other tips and tricks on goal setting please share away in the comments below.

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5(NLT)