How to change your mindset and create realistic goals for 2024

As new year has started and I can’t go without commenting all new year resolutions and New year new me plans. Most have unrealistic goals to begin with and they want to go from doing nothing to going into extremes. And then after 2 or 3 weeks when motivation drops they slowly stop because their plan was not sustainable for them or didn’t fit their lifestyle.

Set realistic expectations

First you need to ask yourself why and how did you end up in the situation where you are now. Most people went through years of being inactive and not taking care of their body but they expect results in a few weeks. This is not realistic. If you did nothing for a few months or even years, then you need to admit that to yourself and expect that it will take some time to get your body back in shape. Be honest and realistic with yourself.

Set a clear goal

Think about what you really want to achieve and why. The why part is very important because it will help you create a plan. If you want to lose weight or be more active these are 2 different goals that will require different approaches and plans. 

You need to start strategically. Be honest with yourself and write down all the reasons why you are not where you want to be and what held you back in the past. When you have all the reasons, distractions and excuses in front of you and you can see them, it will be much easier to make a plan and avoid making the same mistakes.

Build habits

Keep in mind that motivation si not enough. If successful people would rely only on motivation they would quit very soon or at least when they approached the first hurdle or problem. Motivation usually keeps us going for a very short period of time and then it can peak every now and then but you need to accept that your goals should never depend on motivation. Think about how many days a month would you go to work if it was only based on your motivation. But you go on the other days too, because “you must” go otherwise they can fire you etc. Think the same way about your other goals in life. If you have a plan that requires 3 trainings a week, then you should go 3 times a week no matter if the weather is bad or you are not in the mood. You go because your goals depend on these workouts. There should be nothing to stop you executing your plan if you have a clear goal (yes there are days that you might get sick or have some unexpected life events but that is normally less than a few times a year).

Start with one small step at a time

Keep in mind to build slowly on the goals you set for yourself. If you weren’t active before, start with shorter workouts once or twice a week. And then when you get used to it, when it becomes part of your routine, you can increase that by adding 1 more workout a week and see how it works with your lifestyle on how fast will you adapt. Step by step build something that is sustainable. Going from not working out directly into 5 trainings a week will not end well. Firstly you will be very tired and also you will probably struggle to fit in 5 workouts a week when you were used to not go to gym at all. Slowly add new habits into your daily routine. Add one new thing every week and you will be surprised how far you can come in 6 months. 

I suggest you to write down where you are now and what held you back in the past and then also what are your goals and how you plan to reach them. It is easier to hold yourself accountable if you can look at that list every day and think about how you are doing and what you are struggling with and how to improve that.

Below is the example of that list: