Lockdown and COVID have done strange things to my perception of time. Days seem to go on for ever but then suddenly a whole year has slipped by. In that climate, I found it very important to set both micro and macro goals for myself. Things I can use to stay grounded each day, medium term milestones and of course one big "North Star" goal of my weight loss target.
Obviously I have my weekly weight loss goal. I try not to weigh in daily because I think hydration and digestion just make it too variable and that can harm my motivation.
I also set smaller goals each day or within each day. They can be silly, unrelated things..."use up the last of those veggies with today's lunch" or "get up early to listen to the birds" any small challenge, no matter how easy, will help. Humans love a sense of accomplishment and reward themselves with (I think) dopamine, even if what they accomplish is trivial.
I have been trying yoga (I suck at it) and indoor cycling (same). Both of those provide opportunities for micro goals - hold this pose for x seconds, ride another km. Try to find activities which offer you micro goals. Walking is a great one - walk round the block, then two blocks. Maybe one day you walk three and jog one. Meditation also, it's free and lends itself to making small improvements over time.
Write your goals down and do this even if you just made them up right as you did them - who's to say you shouldn't? It's the equivalent of starting your to-do list with "Make List" and crossing it right off. Nailed it 😂. I ran up the stairs the other day and immediately afterwards added "run up stairs" to my list of micro goals.
Reward yourself. I know everyone's budget is different but find a way to reward yourself. If you started walking, buy yourself some new running shoes after walking every day for a month. See if you can make your rewards helpful to your goals - cook your meals for a month instead of buying lunch? Treat yourself to a foreman grill or an air fryer. I understand not everyone has money to spare, just try to make sure your rewards don't take you backwards.
Self talk. It's a form of reward and it really works. Talk to yourself about the positive things you have accomplished. "You know, I felt great this morning when I woke up. Loads of energy. That'll be because I am eating better and getting exercise. I really noticed the difference and I want to keep feeling like that"..."I can't believe I cooked a real meal. It tasted great, filled me up and was actually cheaper than a processed meal. I learned something new and it'll be cool to build on that. Maybe I could become a chef!" Look, you will sound like a crazy person but who gives a shit if it helps (and it does help).
Set contextual milestones. "By week 6 I will be closer to 17st than 18st" that was a genuine one of mine. "By week 10 I'll be below my pre-lockdown weight". "By week 15 I will have cycled 1,000 miles", "By week 20 I will be under 220lbs". Again, write them down somewhere you can check in on them. Everyone needs to be reminded sometimes of why they started and how they are doing.
In fact, if you need some help doing this, PM me and I will see if I can help.
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/l5yr82/why_you_should_set_as_many_goals_as_you_like/
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