We set goals as a way to solidify what we want our future to look like. You may want to lose a certain amount of weight, increase your fitness or help in your preparation for a 10km run.
Whatever your goal, you will not achieve it overnight and it is easy to feel disheartened when pulsing, plié-ing and scarecrow-holding hasn't resulted in you looking like Misty Copeland (if that was your goal 😉!).
So what will help you stay motivated for the long haul?
The key is in the planning. Without some type of schedule, commitment and motivation we all struggle to stay the course with achieving our goals. And if those goals are big, hairy audacious goals, the chances of success dramatically reduce and we can lose site, focus and the drive to continue.
Here are our 8 Tips to help you stay focussed on achieving your goals at the barre...
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Celebrate the small wins
Small wins are those times where you’ve booked into a 6am class, it’s cold, your bed is warm and you ‘just.can’t.be.bothered’ but you get up and you go. THAT is a win. Making that choice was a positive step to staying committed and developing a new positive habit. Reflect on that positive decision and congratulate yourself!
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Plan Ahead
Lock in a schedule. Just like a doctor’s appointment, an interview or a meeting with your boss. When you book in time to go to barre give it the same level of seriousness. You wouldn’t NOT turn up to any of the above and the same applies to your health. Exercise should be held in the same regard as a Doctor’s visit.
- Small steps
Small steps each day contribute to achieving the bigger goal. We highly recommend breaking your goal down into smaller steps or wins. If your goal is to lose 10 kilos within 10 months. Then aim for 1 kilo each month. Don't focus on the big goal, focus on what you can do everyday to achieve that goal. If you can tick off your smaller goals you will feel like you are moving towards your bigger goal which will help you stay the course. I was in class this week and our Tender Iris (pictured) at the end of the class said just focus on improving 1%. Improve 1% today and every day this week will be 7% by the end of the week, which will be 30% by the end of the month and 365% by the end of the year. Just focus on improving/achieving that 1%. Love it! Such a good way to look at achieving and reaching goals. Small steps each and every day. -
Remind Yourself - The mental benefits are as strong as the physical
Humans were not designed to sit stagnant for excessive periods of time, not only does this have damaging physical effects (postural) but the level of overworking and screen time affects your mental health. "Exercise stimulates chemicals that improve your mood and the parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning. It releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood."¹ You know that feeling when you just finish a class and you've forgotten all those worries you had before class. You just feel better :) That will help you achieve your goals - that feeling of feeling better. It becomes addictive.
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Make sure you don't impose crazy time constraints!
Sometimes in order to reach these goals we set time constraints.Time constraints that cause stress to meet those goals fast. Make sure you are looking after your overall well-being and that goals you are setting are achievable. Otherwise see point 6!
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Be careful not to overwork your body
We get it. When you start you are super excited and want to go ALL IN. Book every class, start doing two in a day. Multiple F.I.T’s without counter exercises like yoga, barre and stretching. This is NOT sustainable. You will burn out, you will get injured (yes, injured!) and you will feel underwhelmed when you’re big plans i.e washboard abs haven’t appeared and you feel that you’ve “been doing all this hard work for nothing.” Life and exercise is about balance. Take a FIT and balance it with a yoga or Mat Pilates. Balance is our catch-cry!
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Rest and reset is good
Yes, ‘take a break’ when you need to. I’m not talking 4 weeks of rest days, because that is counter productive. But having a rest and reset is 100% OK. Having a rest is actually beneficial to reaching our goals. We need to have these days to unwind, reflect and rest. Yes, exercise is great in many, many ways, but in reality sometimes life just gets on top of us. Our worlds sometimes fall into a bit of chaos and in those moments, taking a step back to breathe is ok. Be kind to yourself.via GIPHY
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Always remember...Less bikini body, more healthy body.
Let’s be honest, winter is almost over and summer is just around the corner and I bet, at some point, the reality of putting on that cute AF bikini has loomed over you. This is no excuse to treat yourself poorly and start beating yourself up, don’t for a second give up on yourself! Put that goal to good use and take your time, be smart, eat well (eat enough! Don’t go starving that beautiful body) and make an easy to stick to schedule. No matter how far or near your goal is, on that first day of summer, say: “I made every effort to look after my body, change my lifestyle and make healthy positive changes in my life. This is what I have achieved and I AM PROUD of myself and my achievements so far.”
And when you hit your goals, reassess and make another. Continue to grow, improve and empower yourself every day :) Remember to always - work hard & have a huge amount of fun along the way. 😀
What helps you achieve your goals?
¹ Referenced from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/exercise-and-mental-health
