fitness goals

January Check-In: Supporting Your 2022 Resolutions

by: Danielle Ternyila

The whole purpose of a New Years Resolution is to start new and fresh again focusing on your biggest goals. The most common resolutions surround self improvement, weightloss, career, and financial aspirations, but these resolutions don’t make it past January sometimes.

If you visit the gym throughout the year, you’ll notice a significantly less amount of people the more months go by since January. Once life starts getting back to normal after the holidays, it’s easy to just forget your New Years Resolution and continue doing what you’ve been doing, which just leaves you wishing you could have done it, regretting the past, or convincing yourself these things aren’t important to you anymore.

At the start of every month, I write down how I did in the last month, what my goals are for the next month, and the steps to achieve those goals in the upcoming 30 days. Instead of trying to plan a whole year and 52 weeks of good behaviors and crushing goals, focus on the next 4-5 weeks ahead of you at a time. It’s easier to plan, and gives you room for growth as you continue learning what works for you and what doesn’t.

Checking in monthly is important for adjusting and realign your goals. Are you on track or do you need to make a change? What went well this month and what didn’t? These questions can pinpoint particular challenges you have to overcome, plan around your constantly-changing schedule, and help you figure out how to do better the next month.

Some months will be easier than others, and some might be overtaken by vacations or holidays! This is the perfect time to plan ahead for those times. You can’t predict every event from the start of the new year, which is why monthly planning is better!

Ready to start preparing for your best month yet? With February here, take time to write down and reflect on the last 31 days. Answer the questions below to help you figure out what to do next, and feel free to print more planning pages to start this month strong!

  • What was my goal last month? Was this achieved or a work in progress?
  • What did I do well to achieve this goal?
  • What challenges came up during the month?
  • How can I improve next month? What changes should I make to overcome the challenges of last month?
  • Looking ahead, is there anything I predict will be a challenge this month? How can I still succeed?

I already can see with Valentine’s Day and a few birthdays in February that I will have some obstacles when it comes to staying true to my healthy diet. To be prepared, I’ll plan to bring my own healthy appetizer or dessert, and I’ll plan to stay on track the rest of the month to ensure I don’t feel guilty if I have a few bad days!

Share your January successes and challenges in our Facebook group to celebrate and connect with people with big goals just like you!

Advertisement

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Let’s Not Compare To Them All

by: Danielle Ternyila

Why don’t I have her body? How does she stay so fit? Why do they get to travel so much? How do I get my home be that clean?

Social media can be the devil, especially when we start making comparisons as if we are looking in a mirror. From the outside looking in through an old friend’s social media, for example, it’s easy to assume things are just easier for them when things look good. They don’t post their bad days for you to see, which makes you start thinking worse about yourself.

Nothing looks good on me. I wish I could love the gym. I don’t get to go on vacations. I don’t have the time to clean and make my house look that nice. That’s just not me, I’ll never be like them.

There is no reason you should be doubting yourself by comparing yourself to your friends and influencers. The only real thing you can compare yourself to is the old version of yourself. Look at where you were before: that’s your competition.

Whether I am looking back at my teenage self, college self, or myself 1 year ago, that is where I am making my comparisons. How much have I achieved since then? Am I happier today than I was then? Have I surrounded myself with the right people? Do I take better care of myself? Have I learned from my mistakes and made myself better?

This is the most accurate and only way to measure your growth and the success of your life, through looking at yourself then and now, and of course staying motivated to make “future you” the best version of yourself, not backtracking or staying in place. We all get scared to try new things, which leads to us settling in our comfort zones, be it your job that’s easier to stay at than leave or how you spend your time.

Everyone has a dream of their own: to lose weight or get in shape, make more money, raise a great family, have the best job, own a business, or live in the dream home, for a few examples. None of those can be achieved if you don’t start believing that you can achieve all of these things. The only thing stopping you is yourself when you don’t apply, you don’t show up, and just give up.

Start with a plan and understand what your goals are. Take time to consider how you can get there. I honestly hated the gym when I was up 60 lbs a few years ago, so I prioritized eating healthier and tried new ways to be active so that I could achieve my goal. Every day since, I continue to compare myself to my “past self” and how far I have come. It makes me feel a lot more proud than comparing myself to someone else who has led a completely different life than me.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to looking in the mirror and comparing yourself to the fairest of them all (that’s you!), I have a few questions below to get you thinking positive and living the life you have been lusting after. You deserve it, that’s what you need to believe! You can live your best life, as long as you do your best to achieve that!

You get what you work for, not what you wish for.

  • What is your dream for your future?
  • Why is this important to you? What would it mean to you to achieve this goal?
  • What is holding you back?
    • Time, funds, commitment, knowledge, motivation, support, etc
  • What steps can you take to overcome those challenges?
    • Time management, finance planning or finding free programs, build a support system, join a team, make an inspiration/vision board, educate yourself, ask for help, etc
  • How will you hold yourself accountable?
  • In what way can you measure your success?
    • Monthly or weekly check-in’s, weigh-in’s, goal tracker, etc.

A support system is an important part to any journey! Join our group on Facebook for more inspiration and a positive group of people all doing their best!

Printable Planning Pages for Your Best Year Yet

by: Danielle Ternyila

As we turn this next page onto a new and bright year, these print-outs can help you hit your goals and on track to do your very best. The best thing you can do today is set yourself up for success tomorrow!

I’ve created these print-outs to reflect over your last 365 days and begin planning for your best future! These templates can be printed out or downloaded on your phone to fill out or just read and think through.

The best way to stay on top of your goals is to priotize them and plan your path to success. I use trackers like these to keep myself going all year, every month, week and day! I put time on my calendar every week for the gym and my other goals, just like I schedule meetings at work. These pages help me make plans in advance so that I wake up prepared for success every day; 365 days is a long way to go, so I hope these help you achieve all your goals too!

6 Free Templates for Your Best YearDownload

A Year In Review Print-Out

Before any of the other handy planner sheets we have here, this tool is great for reviewing some of the most important parts of your last year and the lessons you should be taking away from them. As you look over your annual highlights, successes, and wins, you can also consider what you need to do different next year for bigger and better results. After all, you just want to try your best!

Your Best Month Calendar Printable

Pop this one out of the printer and fill it in with the next month as you begin looking ahead again. You can use one every month to keep yourself on track and organized, as well as focus on your biggest priorities. Print 12 now to get a jump start on your year! Don’t forget to make action points for yourself towards your 3 goals, whether they’re personal, career, or family-related.

Your Best Weekly Health Tracker

This template will help you track your diet and fitness, as well as all your successes throughout the week! In your Bests column, you can record things you did for your self-care, good deeds, good jobs, and things you did that contributed to your daily happiness. This is especially useful in tracking how different foods and activities make you feel. Rate your meals and snacks from 1 star for not so great to 3 stars for the best!

Daily Goals: Wins and Best Practices

Set yourself up each month with this page to remind yourself of your goal and track it daily. Whether it is making the bed every day or working out, you’ll feel so proud every time you mark off a circle. I also like to write in an inspirational quote of the month. This page can also be used at the end of the month to review your best practices and how to conquer any challenges that came up, like perhaps an injury or lack of scheduling, which you can note too along the side throughout the month.

2022 Vision Board Template

Use this document to create your own vision board in words. A vision board helps you compile all your goals for the year into one place and keeps you aligned on what is most important to you from day one. Is your goal to be healthier? Lose weight? Pay debt? Organize or redecorate your home? Put it on paper and why it matters to you!

2021 Lessons Learned Template

With 2021 in the rear view, let’s not forget the lessons we learned and anything else we can take away to set up ourselves for the best year yet. Who made you happiest this past year? What makes you smile now looking back? What do you want to keep doing or make more time for in 2022?