From Goal-Setting to Goal-Getting

From Goal-Setting to Goal-Getting: Tracking Progress and Celebrating Wins

You’ve set your health and fitness goals, you’re putting in serious time in the kitchen and the gym, and you’re starting to see the progress you’ve been hoping for. You haven’t hit your goal, but you know that you’re headed in the right direction. You’re feeling more energetic, you can push through workouts more easily, and healthy food feels like a treat—not a punishment.

Now what?

Making progress toward health and fitness goals is exciting, but the day-to-day repetition of exercising, getting plenty of sleep, and sticking to your meal plan can get monotonous. However, every step is worth it, and celebrating your efforts along the way can help prevent burnout.

There’s no need to wait until you hit your ultimate goal to celebrate all of your hard work. Measuring your achievement thus far and celebrating milestones can help keep you on the path to success. Whether you finally have enough energy to get out of bed the first time your alarm goes off, you’re feeling more confident in the way that you look, or you’re finally able to keep up with your kids during backyard soccer games, celebrating the small changes you feel as you work to become your healthiest self can give you the motivation you need to keep going.

Here, we’ll explore different strategies you can use to measure progress as you move forward on your fitness journey, the importance of celebrating small wins, how to deal with setbacks, and how you can keep your momentum moving forward in a positive direction.

One Day at a Time: Tracking Progress Matters

When you’re on a fitness journey, it can be easy to get hung up on your weight progression during your workouts, the numbers on the scale, or even blood work numbers at the doctor’s office. While all of these factors can be important parts of moving toward your health goals, feeling your best isn’t all about numbers.

Lalitha McSorley, a physiotherapist in Calgary whose clientele list includes Olympic athletes, Major League Baseball players, and Cirque du Soleil performers, says that it’s best to use a combination of metrics to track progress, including your overall sense of well-being. She says that while noticing changes in measurements can be motivating, it’s also important to do regular check-ins to note how you’re feeling. “I do this with patients and clients regularly,” says McSorley. “It’s an important part of their journey that’s often overlooked.”

Try these strategies to track your progress as you work toward your health and fitness goals:

• Go digital. Apps make it easy to see your progress in real time. Whether you’re working to get stronger, lose weight, gain weight, exercise consistently, get faster, or you have another fitness goal in mind, keeping track of positive changes in an app can push you to keep going.
• Keep a journal. Jotting down even a few sentences each day can help you see the changes in your mood and mindset that happen as a result of focusing on your health.
• Take progress photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, and seeing the physical progress that you’ve made from one month to the next can help you see that your hard work is paying off.

The Psychology of Small Wins

Sure, celebrating a big win feels great—and it’s also important to also take time along the way to look back at how far you’ve come. When you celebrate small wins, you’re making deposits into your brain’s positive mindset bank, helping you create future success.

When you pause to acknowledge achievements—even small ones—you’re reinforcing the fact that your efforts are paying off, which is key for moving forward in your fitness journey. When you take a step back and look at how far you’ve come, you’re able to bolster your mindset and build resilience that will help you push through future setbacks.

Catherine Gervacio, RND, registered nutritionist, and diet consultant for WowMD, says that the celebration of small wins can be vital for helping you stay on track.

“It’s very important because it builds momentum, enthusiasm, and drive to continue your efforts,” Gervacio says. “It also creates a positive feedback loop. Each win, no matter how small, reaffirms that you’re on the right track.”

McSorley uses the concept of small wins to help her patients stay motivated. She specifically remembered a time when she was working to help a client hit the goal of running a 5K after an ankle injury.

“We first began by setting small rehab goals, like celebrating getting the ankle brace off, celebrating his first 1K, and so on,” McSorely said. “This helps you see progress in real time, which prevents burnout, as the road to the finish line is often very long. This gives you a sense of accomplishment even if you’re not at your final goal yet.”

Try these tactics to stay focused on the positive and celebrate small achievements as you continue to work toward your goal:

• Reward yourself. When you hit a fitness milestone, treat yourself to a walk in the park, a coffee date with a close friend, a rewatch of your all-time favorite movie, or a new piece of workout gear.
• Reflect on your progress. You don’t necessarily have to give yourself a tangible reward to celebrate progress. Writing in a journal about the positive changes you’re seeing in your physical and mental health can help your brain understand that the work you’re doing is worthwhile.
• Share your wins. Sharing your small wins with a friend, family member, or personal trainer can give you the encouragement you need to keep going.

Setbacks: How to Keep Pushing Forward

Whether you’re feeling fatigued, you’re struggling to stay on track with your nutrition plan, or you’re not seeing data points moving in your desired direction, it can be tough to keep your eye on the prize when things aren’t going well.

If you’re struggling with motivation after a setback, you’re not alone. The good news: there are steps that you can take to inspire and push yourself to get back on track, and you’ll be stronger for it.

Gervacio recommends focusing on what’s going right—not what’s going wrong. “It’s all about mindset,” says Gervacio. “Instead of focusing solely on what hasn’t improved, it's best to shift your mindset and focus on the gains you have made.” She recommends focusing on daily wins, like the fact that you chose to attend a personal training session rather than watching a movie, to stay in the right headspace even when you’re not progressing as quickly as you’d like.

It can also be important to reevaluate your goals if you’re finding that you’re having trouble moving forward, or if you’re struggling to find small wins around the way.

“It’s important to reassess your goals every once in a while if you feel like you might need to break them into smaller, more achievable tasks,” says McSorley.

Keep Momentum Moving, One Healthy Decision at a Time

You’re already making progress—now, it’s time to keep forging ahead.

It’s important to remember that you’re not always going to feel as motivated as you did on day one of your wellness journey—and that’s ok!

“Discipline will always beat motivation,” McSorely says.

Try these tips to build positive momentum in your fitness journey:

• Cultivate a sense of self-trust. When you do the things you say you’re going to do, you’re likely to grow your confidence in your ability to hit your goals. Build momentum by keeping self-made promises, such as going to bed early enough to get the rest you need to feel ready to hit the ground running for your morning workout session.
• Explore new healthy habits. It’s easy to feel stuck in the same old routine. Working with a personal trainer is a smart way to constantly explore new exercises and workouts without having to put in the time and energy that it takes to create a new routine for yourself. Choosing a new type of produce to try each time you’re at the grocery store can keep your healthy eating routine from getting stale.
• Make it a team effort. If people around you are starting to notice the changes you’re making, invite them to join you! Going for weekly walks with a neighbor, going for a hike with a loved one instead of going out for lunch, or hitting up a yoga class with a friend can all be valuable ways to build a sense of community that helps you keep pushing forward.

Your Local Fitness Together Studio is Here to Help You Get the Ball Rolling!

When you choose to work out at your local Fitness Together® studio, you’re choosing to immerse yourself in a positive, motivating, uplifting environment. From one workout to the next, your personal trainer will be with you to keep you moving when things get tough, and to celebrate all that you’ve accomplished. Your local Fitness Together studio is excited to support you as you work toward becoming your healthiest, happiest self. Reach out to your local Fitness Together studio today to learn more about what we do and schedule your first personal training session.

Share Your Wins With the Fitness Together Team

We want to celebrate your wins! Share your health and fitness wins on social media and tag your local Fitness Together studio. We can’t wait to see the payoff of all your hard work!