June is here; can you believe it? The year has flown by and everyone is busier than ever with summer plans, the kids out of school, vacations, doing chores/projects around the house, etc. It seems with each passing year the months fly by faster. With half the year gone by already, I wanted to check in with those Monthly Resolutions I wrote about at the beginning of the year. After all, it’s not just your members who make them — you likely did too!
Monthly what?
If you recall (and if you don’t, you can read here to brush up!), in January I brought up how doing New Year’s resolutions often end in the goals being lost and/or forgotten just a few months in, and when you’re ready to come back on track, it can feel like it’s too late and there’s no use. So I proposed setting a goal for just the month, and changing/tweaking your goals for each month based on how the previous one went.
What do you do?
Once a month I sit down and analyze where I’m at with my goals for the previous month. Did I meet them? Did I aim too high or aim too low? Based on how that month went, I adjust accordingly to keep my goals realistic and attainable for what my schedule realistically looks like, but ensuring they’re still challenging and something to strive for.
For example, one of my goals was to lift weights three times a week and do cardio two to three times. However, the last few months I’ve been traveling more than not and I have found it hard to get my gym time in for weights, as the hotels I was staying at mainly had cardio machines. I changed my course then to do functional workouts instead.
I shifted my goal to just move four to five days a week. What does that mean? Well, it’s open for interpretation enough to be realistic and in line with my current workload (don’t our work schedules fluctuate throughout the weeks). If I’m able to lift weights, great! That will be part of the “‘moving” goal for four to five days a week. Go for a run and do a bodyweight workout? There’s another! The point is keeping your goals achievable and realistic to suit your circumstance.
My goal for June will be to focus on my cycling outside. I’ve done all my cardio inside all winter and am so excited to hit the ground in the fresh weather finally. My goal is to be taking my bike out for a spin three to four days a week and really build up my endurance on hills. There’s a 30-mile route I do that kills me on one of the hills, and I’m going to conquer it this month, all while keeping my heart rate low.
Did anyone join me this year in making resolutions for each month? If so, how has your experience been? If you haven’t yet, it’s still not too late! It’s never too late. We get a reset every four weeks and you can hop in anytime. What do you have in your sights? I’d love to hear your goals for June or July!
Lindsey Rainwater, also known as Lindsey RainH2O, is a sought-after business consultant, leadership coach, writer and presenter to the fitness and wellness industry. For more information about Rainwater, follow her on Twitter @LindseyRainH2O or check out her website www.linseyrainh2o.com.
