11. #10 Exercise Improves Your Ability to Set, and Achieve, Goals
You might think this is a minor benefit; however the vast majority of people are terrible at setting goals. What usually happens is they set tremendous goals that are near impossible to achieve. For example, they decide they want to run a marathon when they’ve never run before, or they want to lose 100 pounds yet they have no idea how to begin.
Exercise helps you learn how to set goals that are challenging yet attainable. As you cultivate this skill, you’ll see it applied to other areas of your life including your personal and professional life. And as you begin to achieve your goals, you’ll gain the confidence to continue setting and achieving goals. It will become part of your life.
Tip – When you’re setting goals for exercise consider the SMART approach. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. A SMART goal for a fitness program might look like this: “In three months I want to be able to jog three miles a day, four days a week.”
Small steps are better than big ones to achieve fitness goals. Your body needs time to adapt and your lifestyle needs to make room for your new habit. You might start by jogging a half mile the first week ortwo and gradually add on distance until you reach your three-mile goal. SMART goals give you the ability to make a reasonable plan.