Turn your goals into a gameplan:

Setting and achieving goals is a crucial aspect of personal development and growth. However, many individuals struggle to turn their goals into actionable plans. In this article, we will explore a simple framework used by Nerd Fitness Coaching to help individuals create a roadmap for success. By the end of this article, readers will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to build a resilient and flexible routine, even in the face of chaos.

The framework consists of three steps: picturing your 12-month win, identifying the skills behind that goal, and choosing your practices. Let’s dive into each step in more detail.

Step 1: Picture Your 12-Month Win

The first step is to clearly define what your goals are. This could be losing weight, running a 5K, or simply feeling more confident in your body. Take a moment to write down what your goals are and what they mean to you. If you’re feeling stuck, try asking yourself: “12 months from now, if I’ve made awesome progress on my health and fitness goals, what does life look and feel like? Describe your average day to me.” This can help get the ideas flowing and give you a North Star to aim for.

Step 2: Identify the Skills Behind That Goal

Once you have a clear idea of what your goals are, the next step is to identify the skills required to achieve them. This is where many people get tripped up. They go straight from “I want to lose 20 pounds” to “I need to follow this exact workout plan five days a week.” However, this approach skips over a crucial step: skills. Ask yourself: “What are the types of skills someone who achieves this goal develops?” For example, if you want to lose weight, some key skills might include controlling portion sizes, planning and prepping meals, getting enough sleep, and having non-food coping mechanisms for stress.

Step 3: Choose Your Practices

Now that you’ve identified the skills required to achieve your goals, the next step is to figure out how to practice them. This is the cool part, because there’s no one right answer. Take my client Amanda, for example. She wanted to lose weight to improve her overall health, so we identified “controlling portion sizes” as a key skill. However, she didn’t want to count calories every day. Instead, we broke it down into smaller, manageable practices, such as building the habit of packing an afternoon snack at work, using hand-portion guides to estimate meals, and trying short-term calorie tracking.

By focusing on building sustainable skills rather than following a rigid plan, you can create a more flexible and resilient routine. This approach also helps you adapt to changing circumstances and ensures that you’re making progress towards your goals. So, what’s one 12-month win you can think of? What’s one skill that could help you get there? What’s an easy practice you can work towards this week for that skill? Take the first step towards achieving your goals and start building the skills and practices that will help you succeed.

For more information on how to turn your goals into a game plan, check out the full article Here.

Image Credit: www.nerdfitness.com