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New Year Goals: A Mindful Approach to Health and Fitness

by Veronique Rioux | Jan 1, 2024 | news

A new year can be a useful time to reflect on what you want to change, but goals do not have to be about losing weight, exercising harder or completely reinventing yourself.

A more sustainable approach is to ask two questions:

What do I want to work toward?
How do I want to feel while I am doing it?

That combination can make goals feel more meaningful and easier to maintain.

Start With How You Want to Feel

One idea I have found useful is identifying the feelings you want more of in your life.

That might include:

• strong
• calm
• energized
• grounded
• playful
• confident
• adventurous
• connected

These are sometimes called Core Desired Feelings.

The point is not to replace practical goals with vague emotions. It is to use those feelings to help shape goals that actually fit the life you want.

For example, if you want to feel stronger, your goal might be two strength-training sessions per week.

If you want to feel more grounded, your goal might be a regular walk, yoga practice or five quiet minutes before bed.

Make Goals Specific Enough to Act On

Goals work better when they are clear.

Instead of:

“I want to get healthier.”

Try:

“I will strength train twice a week for the next eight weeks.”

Instead of:

“I need to exercise more.”

Try:

“I will walk for 20 minutes after dinner three times a week.”

Specific goals give you something you can actually follow.

You can also read Goal Setting for Health and Fitness: How to Create Goals That Actually Help for a deeper look at practical goal setting.

Start Smaller Than You Think You Need To

One of the biggest mistakes with New Year goals is changing too much at once.

A huge plan may feel exciting for a week or two and then become impossible to maintain.

Start with one or two habits that feel realistic.

Consistency usually matters more than intensity.

Focus on Behaviours You Can Control

Outcome goals can be motivating, but they are not always completely under your control.

For example:

Outcome goal: lose 20 pounds.

Behaviour goals: strength train twice a week, cook at home more often, walk regularly and plan meals.

Behaviour goals give you something concrete to do.

They also allow you to notice progress even before the final outcome happens.

Build Goals Around Your Real Life

A good goal should fit your actual schedule.

If you have a busy week, a 20-minute workout may be more realistic than an hour-long gym session.

If mornings are chaotic, stop trying to force yourself into being a morning exerciser.

Work with your life rather than constantly fighting it.

Create a Vision Board if It Helps You

Some people enjoy using a vision board as a visual reminder of what they are working toward.

You might include:

• places you want to hike
• activities you want to try
• words that describe how you want to feel
• strength or mobility goals
• images that represent rest, connection or adventure

A vision board does not make goals happen on its own.

Its value is simply that it can keep meaningful priorities visible.

Track Progress Without Obsessing

Tracking can help you notice patterns.

You might track:

• workouts completed
• walks
• sleep
• strength improvements
• energy
• consistency
• how you feel during movement

You do not need to track everything.

Choose a few measures that actually help you make decisions.

Expect Motivation to Change

Motivation is not constant.

There will be weeks when you feel excited and weeks when you do not.

That does not mean the goal has failed.

The more useful question is:

What is the smallest version of this habit I can still do today?

That might be a 10-minute walk instead of a full workout.

Keeping the habit alive can be more valuable than trying to be perfect.

Celebrate Progress That Is Not Visible

Progress can look like:

• feeling stronger
• moving with more confidence
• sleeping better
• walking farther
• recovering faster
• feeling less intimidated by the gym
• being more consistent
• having more energy

Those changes matter.

Health and fitness are bigger than appearance.

Get Support if You Need It

Goals are often easier to maintain when you do not have to figure everything out alone.

Support can come from:

• a friend
• a training partner
• a group class
• a coach
• a personal trainer
• a healthcare professional

The right type of support depends on the goal.

Let Your Goals Evolve

You are allowed to change your mind.

A goal that felt important in January may not matter in June.

That is not failure.

Adjusting goals based on your life, health and priorities is part of the process.

Build a Year You Actually Want to Live

A useful New Year goal should not make the rest of your life miserable.

It should help you move toward something meaningful.

You do not need to become a completely different person.

You can start by choosing one or two actions that support the way you want to feel and repeating them consistently.

If you want help building realistic habits around movement, nutrition and lifestyle, explore the Eight Weeks to Health Coaching Program or Health & Lifestyle Coaching in Nanaimo.

If your goals are more exercise-specific, you can also learn about Personal Training in Nanaimo.

For a deeper look at the difference between coaching and counselling, you can read Coaching vs. Counselling.