A new year welcomes new beginnings, goals and dreams. But usually by the end of January most of us have failed dismally at achieving these resolutions we set out for ourselves and are left feeling guilty, tired and overwhelmed by this seeming lack of accomplishment. We often find ourselves ready to give up or having even forgotten what it was that we set out to do. And so we plod on having not made any significant changes to our lives, falling back into old routines and deeper in the self-blame hole – where we take this lack of progress as a sign that we are weak of mind or spirit. Have you ever thought that perhaps the reason behind not achieving your goals is actually that the goal itself was not achievable or realistic for you, your life or routine? Most of the time, the goals we set in an effort to “turn over a new leaf” tend to be over ambitious and unrealistic. How many times have you heard yourself or someone you know say - this year I am going to “eat healthy”, “get fitter” or “take more time out for myself”? And how many times have these changes actually materialised? While we might have the right intentions behind setting these wonderful goals, the unfortunate fact is that action must be taken in order for them to become more than just that – a good intention. That is why for this blog entry I have decided to discuss how to set achievable, realistic goals rather than to just jump right in and talk about what your goals should be. There are some key principles that should be taken into consideration before setting (or re-evaluating) any goal – be it personal, work, school or wellness related. Focus: Zone in on what you would like to achieve and be specific! We can often set a very broad spectrum for ourselves with new goals, leading us onto a path with far too many directions to consider. For example – if we had to take the good old “eat healthier” New Year’s resolution –one can quickly see how this goal lacks focus. What does eating healthier mean to you? Eating fewer high sugar, high fat foods and more veggies? Drinking less coffee or eating more whole grains? Or is it all of the above and then some? For some of us in this case it might be achievable to choose one specific area in our diet (or whatever the spectrum of your goal may be) to realistically focus on. Accountability: How many times have we all started a new year off filled with gusto and goal accomplishing gumption, only to realise 30 days later that you have made little or no progress? This is why it is necessary to find a method suitable to your goal and routine that will hold you accountable for your progress or lack thereof. Most of us dancers will start the year off with a list of aspirations for the year such as to improve our flexibility, get stronger or be able to do more pirouettes. A way of holding yourself accountable for keeping up with these goals may be through tracking your progress using photos and videos in a timely manner. Structure: It’s all well and good to have a focused goal and a method to keep you accountable but if either of these principles are not linked to some structure and time frame – today’s goal will always be a tomorrows achievement. Applying structure to your healthy eating goal would be deciding on how to go about it. Tackling one healthy eating change per week could be an example for bringing structure in your aim. Time: There is always time to accomplish something in the future, but the only way that it will be certain that we achieve what we set out to - is if we commit to doing so within a defined time period. Small short term goals under the larger aim can often be the most realistic way to reach the desired outcome. For example, implementing one dietary change per week over a 3 month period may be the route to reach a healthy eating goal. I hope that in using these 4 principles (Focus Accountability Structure and Time - FAST) you will be able to both set realistic goals for yourself and achieve them. May 2018 be the year that all of us part of the El’Shebang family achieve all our goals and dreams!
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AuthorDanielle Gemeliaris has been dancing for half her life and has always been passionate about food, nutrition and the science behind them. The knowledge she gained through her studies, as a dancer and her experience as a health and wellness coach through Herbalife, has made her uniquely qualified to help dancers better understand nutrition and the role it plays in their lives. She hopes to offer the readers of this blog the opportunity to gain a basic working knowledge of nutrition, the role it plays for dancers and learn how to make better more informed food choices in the future. Archives
April 2019
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