The Single Most Important Way To Set Goals

Linette Teerlink • June 30, 2024

You have goals.


Maybe you want to lose 20 pounds...

Maybe you want to run a 5k...

Maybe you just want to be healthier...


Whatever your goal is, it's important to understand this one EXTREMELY important fact.


Goals are fluid. They change.


And it's important to remember that what your goal is right now, is subject to the circumstances of life. There will be times when you get sick, or work is crazy... and that's okay. When these things happen, losing 20 pounds might not be a realistic goal for you. It might make more sense to scale back your goal and just try to make it to the gym twice a week. That is a perfectly reasonable goal all things considered.


A lot of times we fall into a pattern of wanting to accomplish a goal, life getting in the way, feeling like a failure when we aren't able to accomplish that goal, giving up, then starting it all over again later on down the road.


But what if we took a different approach?


What if the only REAL goal was to get healthy, and all of the micro goals you set for yourself on the way to being healthy were flexible?


I think it's fair to say that most people who work out, do so to be healthy. They want to take care of themselves and look good. That goal in and of itself is more like a journey than a destination. You never own it, you can only rent it. And when you stop paying rent you get kicked out.

But I digress...


Within that goal of being healthy, there are a bunch of smaller goals we set to help keep us motivated.

Let's say your goal is to lose 20 pounds since most people have a weight loss goal. You start attacking this goal, working out 3 times per week and eating clean. You start seeing results pretty quickly and you lose 5 pounds in your first month. "This is it" you think to yourself. "This time I'm actually going to lose that 20 pounds".


But then...your daughter gets sick, so you have to stay home to take care of her. And just as she's getting better... you feel an itch in your throat...it's your turn.

And before you know it, you've been knocked on your butt and haven't been to the gym in 2 weeks!


But not only have you not been to the gym, you haven't been to the office, you haven't knocked anything off of your to-do list at all, because all you've been able to do is take care of yourself.


You are behind.


Listen to me when I tell you this...

That's okay.

That's normal.

It will happen to all of us countless times in our life, and when it does happen, we have to reassess our initial goal.


Because you're behind at work and around the house, it may not be realistic for you to stick to the health routine you had prior to your daughter getting sick. Maybe you don't have the mental willpower to maintain that entire lifestyle at the moment.


This is what you need to do.


Scale back.


It's okay to scale back. It doesn't mean you've failed. Maybe you change your goal from losing 20 pounds, to just making it to 1 workout per week. And as you begin to knock off items on your to-do list you reassess again, and decide you can comfortably fit in 2 workouts per week. Then you absolutely nail the huge presentation at work so you have even more free time. Woohoo! We're back to our original 3 days. You're back into the swing of things, and you've even been able to eat well again!


This is what fitness journeys look like on a micro level.


Your goals are not all or nothing. They need to be flexible, and mold around your life. Not the other way around. What's important to remember as well is the fact that just because you have to adjust your goals... it doesn't mean you've failed.

If anything it means you are succeeding because even though it's slowed down a bit, you're able to keep making progress.


As the saying goes...

"No matter how slowly you go, you're still lapping everyone on the couch."


So keep this in mind next time you feel life getting in the way.

Understand that it's okay to adjust. And when the time is right, begin returning to that original goal. This is how true success happens with fitness.



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Ready to Transform Your Life? Join Progressive Athletics Today!

At Progressive Athletics, we specialize in helping adults over 40 safely and effectively lift weights, workout, and move better. Our expert guidance has empowered hundreds of Howard County residents to embrace active lifestyles and achieve their fitness goals. Now, it's your turn!

Don't wait to take the first step towards a healthier, stronger, and more vibrant you. Click the link below to learn what makes us different.

https://www.progressive-athletics.com
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Don't let past setbacks keep you from creating the active lifestyle that you want. Progressive Athletics has helped hundreds of Howard County residents educate, elevate, and create lives that they love. Get started today by clicking the link above or emailing the owner at linette@progressive-athletics.com

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By Linette Teerlink • September 28, 2024
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By Linette Teerlink • September 28, 2024
Protein. It's the biggest buzzword in the health and fitness industry right now. When most people hear the term "protein," they immediately think of a particular brand of supplement. First and foremost, I'd like to emphasize that supplements are not the focus of this article. Instead, we'll look at different types of proteins and how they're processed by the body. It's worth noting, however, that the protein you get from supplements and the protein you can find in food is almost the same. The only exception is that certain powdered proteins are well-isolated and absorb more quickly than others. Supplements were designed to complement and improve your diet plan. They're also handy and can be used in a pinch, such as after a workout or even for breakfast if you're running low on calories.

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By Linette Teerlink • September 28, 2024
"I'm too old for that." If you’ve ever tried to talk your dad into going to the gym with you, it is likely that the response was something the above. Or maybe you've said it yourself. Well, people of previous generations have grown with the belief that age is a terminal sentence that inevitably deprives you of the ability to do anything body-care-related. And while this is relevant and valid for individuals who believe it is so, it is not really the ultimate truth that no one can escape. Let’s Face The Facts… If you are of older age and don’t have any severe physical/health issues, here are some facts for you: You can still exercise You can still eat well You can still treat your body right In most cases, refusing to do those is simply the end result of giving up, or in other words, it is your mind that thinks age is stopping you.

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By Linette Teerlink • September 28, 2024
Imagine you're freezing in your own house and the only source of heat is your fireplace. There's no firewood, so you start burning stuff in your house. Do you reach for the furniture and tearing down walls right away? Of course, not! You go for fluffy pillows expendable junk first. If you’re working to shed fat, your body is essential looking for stuff to burn for energy and survival. But unlike you in your scenario, your body does not care what it burns. It's tearing down weightbearing walls and burning your great grandmother's antique table. It doesn't care where the energy comes from. So as you gleefully celebrate weight loss, you've actually lost water, muscle, and bone. And now you're setting yourself up for injuries, insulin resistance, and a falls. Do you still feel like doing a bell-kick? But don't fret, there is a way to protect your body's essential structures while losing weight. First you need to make a change to your lifestyle. I know, easier said than done. But hear me out. Start by manipulating your nutrition and activity levels in small increments. Though fat loss sounds simple, there are many important considerations to take into account when you are going through that period. One of those is namely the approach to training while losing fat, as it can make or break your process. In this article, we’ll go through every important detail regarding fat-loss training. Without further ado, let’s get to it!

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By Linette Teerlink • September 28, 2024
The more time passed by and the more we transitioned from a life in nature to life in big cities, the more human nutrition changed. Needless to say, when you make changes to what you do multiple times per day (eating), there are physiological changes that occur.  The “western diet” is one of the things that made the biggest impact on human health.

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Why You Shouldn't Care About Your Weight

By Linette Teerlink • June 30, 2024
Yes, you read that right. Some of you are more than likely sliding your mouse to the back button thinking "this lady calls herself a trainer...how could I not care about my weight?" But before you get your sweet new Under Armour panties in a bunch, hear me out... I get it, we all have an ideal weight we would like to be. Some of us want to gain, most of us want to lose. So we hop on the scale every morning, heart racing, hoping that because we walked past the Dunkin Donuts box in the office yesterday, we will magically shed that extra pound or two. The scale blinks in a taunting manner as if to say "don't waste your time", and somehow, you're up an extra pound or two...

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By Linette Teerlink • June 30, 2024
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable”

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By Linette Teerlink • June 30, 2024
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