2012 Review

What have you achieved in 2012? Have you achieved what you wanted to achieve? Could you have done more? What went well? What did not go well etc?

Take some time to review the past 12 months and to analyse how you have got on with achieving your health and fitness goals. This is a great way to actually see if you achieved what you set out to achieve. When I speak to people about their goals and aims, they are quick to say what they wanted to achieve but when I ask them have they reviewed their success, the answer is often “no”.

As part of the review process, write down what your goals were at the start of the year and then next to it write down the actual outcome. Also, make a note of what you did to achieve your goal or what you could have done differently if you did not.

This will allow you to firstly identify whether you have achieved in 2012 what you set out to achieve. If you have it will give you a great feeling of pride and satisfaction. It will have made all of the hard work worthwhile and will make you determined to keep on progressing in 2013. If you have not achieved your goals in 2012 it will allow you to identify by how far you missed your target and possibly why. In addition, it will act as a great motivator to achieve your goal in 2013.

For instance you might put:

1. In 2012 my goal was to lose 28lbs in weight in 3 months. My actual outcome was 35lbs weight loss in 3 months, which means I am 7lbs ahead of my target plan. I achieved this through exercising consistently 3-4 times per week, getting more active and eating/drinking more nutritiously 80% of the time. I am determined to maintain this in 2013 and to lose another 8lbs.

2. In 2012 my goal was to run a 10Km race in 50 minutes (my best time in 2011 was 58 minutes and 30 seconds). My actual outcome was 51 minutes and 20 seconds, which means I am 1 minute and 20 seconds behind my plan but 7 minutes and 10 seconds better than 2011. I achieved this time by running 10km on average once per week. However, with a little more commitment I could have run the distance twice per week which is my aim in 2013.

In scenario number 1, the person has not only achieved their weight loss target but has actually bettered it. By reviewing their goal, they now understand that they have actually bettered their target and they will gain a great sense of achievement that the exercise and nutrition/drinking changes they have made have paid off. They are determined to lose more weight in 2013. This will give them a great feeling of pride and the added motivation and desire to keep up the great weight loss progress in 2013.

In scenario number 2, the person has bettered their 2011 10km running time but not achieved their 2012 10km target time. By reviewing their goal, they now understand how many more minutes and seconds they need to knock off their current time to run 10km in 50 minutes and what they need to do to achieve this e.g. to run 10km twice per week rather than once. Comfortably bettering their 2011 10km time will give them a good feeling of satisfaction but they will be disappointed not to have achieved their 2012 target time. This therefore will act as a great motivator going into 2013.

Now the above two scenarios are just examples of what your goals might have been at the start of 2012. I have used the above two goals as examples as they are the common ones I hear. No doubt yours will be different. Whatever your goals use the same format. Make a note of your goals at the start of 2012, write down what you actually achieved and then make a note of how you achieved this.

Achieving your goals will give you a great feeling of satisfaction, pride and sense of achievement. It will make all the hard work worthwhile. Crucially, it will motivate you and make you determined to carry on the great progress into 2013.

In addition, take some time to plan your health and fitness goals and targets for 2013. Write them down, make the commitment to achieve them and constantly review them throughout 2013. Knowing what you want to achieve in 2013 is the first step you need to take in order to achieve your health and fitness goals. Make your goals Specific, Measurable and with a time deadline. Remember, regular, small steps lead to giant, progress strides.

So take some time to review your 2012 goals and targets. It is a worthwhile exercise and it will allow you to check the progress you are currently making towards achieving your goals going into 2013. Make the commitment. Celebrate your successes and look forward to the next 12 months with enthusiasm and excitement. Make 2013 the year you not only achieve but dominate your health and fitness goals.

Live life in the active lane,

Matt