Every six months or so, you have a dental check-up. The dentist looks around your mouth and points some flaws with a sharp stick.
You can’t lie to the dentist.
They know it all.
After you leave, though, you have an honest evaluation of how you have been treating your oral hygiene.
Your goals need to be evaluated, too. It is a good idea to set dates to check in on your progress every so often. How else will you know whether you are progressing? There are a few ways to do this. Any method will work if you stick to it and stay honest with yourself about the results. They will also work together. If you utilize all these types of goal check-ups in tandem, you will see a massive increase in your motivation and accountability.
Here are three different types of goal check-ups that you should build into your schedule:
- Do-it-yourself
This type of goal check-up is the most effective. Whether or not it is the most effective depends entirely on you. These are the kinds of check-ups that you can do completely on your own. They don’t require much, and you probably don’t have to plan very much in advance.
Do-it-yourself check-ups are probably best for easily self-motivated people. Suppose you are good at sticking to the plan without supervision. A potential problem with these check-ups is that they are easy to skip because the only person to hold you accountable is you.
Types of do-it-yourself check-ups include progress photos, scheduled weigh-ins, and journaling. These are things you can all do easily. You can also do them in tandem with other types of check-ups for maximum accountability.
- Find an Accountability Buddy (or Buddies)
One of the best ways to be held accountable is to have someone you respect check in with you at a scheduled time. If you’re also their accountability buddy, that’s even better! There are not many things that will motivate you, like potentially disappointing someone whom you respect and value. Make sure this person knows your goals upfront and the best way to inspire you. If you need tough love, tell them that.
If you’d prefer, they say nothing when you don’t quite reach your goal, tell them that too. Setting ground rules will ensure that you don’t give up on these check-ups and that you don’t potentially hurt any feelings.
Another great way to bring more people into your fitness journey is to start or join a group. People are naturally competitive, so seeing other people succeed is a good way to gauge how well you are progressing and identify some areas to improve. Having other eyes on your success is not only good motivation, but it also gives your perspective on how others operate.
- Test Yourself
Or, in other words, “trial by fire.” This is a surefire way to see where you’re at versus where you started. When you first start, do the test. See what your current physical abilities are. If you want to start running more, see what your fastest mile time is. If you are going to lift more weight, test out your favorite lift. Then set a date for another test.
It’s hard to lie to yourself when you’re trying your best to beat your last benchmark. You’ll give yourself an honest evaluation of how your hard work is paying off. Hopefully, you’ll see that everything is working great, and you smash your last record. If you don’t, it’s a sign that you need to change something in your training. Either way, you’ll get valuable information on where you’re at now, where you were, and how you can get better in the future.
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