Making goals is a fabulous way to stay motivated during your health and fitness journey. Setting goals is easy enough. The hard part comes when we try to reach the goals we make. One way to ensure you reach your goals is to get creative and remind yourself of them each and every day. Making a goal board does just that.
They go by many names: goal boards, vision boards, motivation boards, and work well for things other than fitness and weight loss, too. There aren’t any ‘rules’ when creating a goal board. What’s effective for one person may be useless to the next. The trick is to discover what motivates and excites you. We all love an excuse to use our imaginations, so grab some magazines and markers and channel your inner artist.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a tracking chart, per se. You may want to consider an in-depth tracking chart (to monitor weight, endurance, calories, etc.) in addition to your goal board. The goal board is all about making your journey fun and bearable. Here are a few tips for making a successful goal board:
Be Decisive. Choose what factors you’re going to include in your goal board. A common goal is weight loss but you can get as creative and in depth as you desire. Want to build big muscles? Six-pack abs? Want to be able to wear a swimsuit in public and not be embarrassed? Throw them on the board.
Think big. You want a goal board that is large enough to catch your eye. An obscure piece of paper on your desk will remain just that, obscure. The point of a goal board is to be motivated by it everyday, so you want it poster-sized, and you want to hang it somewhere it will get noticed: your office, your bed room, anywhere you spend a significant amount of time.
On second thought, think small. I’m really not trying to contradict myself! Think small in terms of the goals you are placing. Break your larger goals down into smaller, easier to obtain ones. It will make for a more exciting goal board, and you won’t burn out prematurely.
Visualize. Use magazine cut-outs or photos printed from the computer to illustrate what your goal will look like when it’s manifested in reality. A picture of a sleek black dress you’d like to fit into or a fitness guru you admire would both be appropriate. Clip out words, phrases and anything else that motivates you to be your best each and every day.
Be bright. Be bold. Don’t be afraid to use colorful markers and stickers. These things can be very encouraging and make checking off goals a lot more fun. The same concept goes for wordage. Use phrases that are exciting and rewarding. Instead of crossing off a goal try writing, “I did it!!!” over the top of it in big, bright letters.
Do you have a goal board? What motivates you everyday?
Image via SparkPeople.com
Also Read:
Making Weight Loss Goals Manageable