In order to achieve them you must track your goal progress. It seems intuitive, but so many people fail to do this very simple step that will improve goal completion rate tremendously. If you don't measure it you cannot manage it. That's a fact of life.

Write Your Goals Down

As already discussed in this series of articles on goals, writing them down is the initial step towards completing them. Just the act of writing down a goal sets your brain in motion to achieve that goal. It is a simple thing that has been studied several times. It works. If you are not already writing down your goals, now is the time to begin doing so.

Measure Your Goal Progress

Each week I track my weight, body fat percentage and circumference measurements. This gives me some numbers to go by. I am a numbers guy, but when it comes to achieving goals, everyone should be.

Track Your Goal Progress

I log my measurements weekly. I log every single workout I have. I also use an online workout journal. These things help me to stay focused. I can see tangible results and I can identify problem areas that need to be addressed.

This works quite well for me. It is a spreadsheet that I use for this simple purpose. All I have to enter is the areas that are in white. Every other field is calculated for me. It even shows me as my allowable calories changes based upon a change in my lean body mass. This one tool has helped me the most. If you'd like a copy of this spreadsheet and a small PDF file explaining how to use it leave me a comment below and I will get one to you immediately.

Adjust as You Track Your Goal Progress

If you look at my goal tracking above you will see that I am heading in the right direction at the moment. However, if I was not I would be making adjustments to my plan so that I would begin heading towards the target. It does no good to measure these things if you don't use the data for something positive.

If you have other methods you use to track your goal progress leave them in the comments below.

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• Positive Pressure for Accountability
• What Makes You Tick?
• Lacking Focus Kills Your Progress
• Bad Bodybuilding Information
• Steps to Regaining Focus

Goal setting is a process. I have been attempting to teach that to you over the past month with my articles on Setting Goals for Fitness and Bodybuilding, My Goal Planning Analyzed Step-by-Step, and How to Set Long Term Goals. Today I want to discuss how to break your goal into manageable pieces and why that matters.

Long Term Goal = Daunting Task

As discussed in a previous segment in this series, I have spoken to many people who want to lose 100 pounds or more. They all think they are just going to change some things and they will start dropping the pounds. Well, goals like this are definitely long term and they take so much time to accomplish. I estimate most people would take more than a year to lose 100 pounds (though some could do it slightly sooner). How do you stay motivated that entire time? A long term goal needs to be broken down into manageable pieces because that will give you baby steps to celebrate along the way.

When I travel long distance in a car I always pay attention to milestones. These milestones make the trip go by faster. Goals are no different. Setting some milestone goals will help you achieve the bigger goal by keeping you focused on the daunting task you've undertaken.

A Goal is a Project

I follow the time management system called Getting Things Done. No, that's not some kind of joke, it is an actual system designed by David Allen. In that system anything that takes more than 2 steps to complete is a project. Think of a goal as a project and come up with a project plan. That project plan is going to involve breaking the goal down into smaller chunks and setting due dates for those smaller chunks. It is important for your continued motivation that you do this. Treat a goal like a project that must get done and you will get it done.

A Goal Has Consequences

All goals have consequences. Either you accomplish them or not. However, how much more likely would it be that you complete the goal if you were to have a positive consequence for accomplishing it and a negative one for not accomplishing it? I did this when I wanted to drop weight. I entered a bodybuilding competition and told every single person I knew that I would be up on stage fat or in shape. Clearly being fat and in front of a couple thousand people wasn't my idea of fun, so I worked harder than I ever have before and I made my goal happen.

Conclusion

Goal setting is sort of an art, but accomplishing them doesn't have to be. Break your goal into more manageable pieces and treat it like a project and you will see the results. Good luck!

Related Posts:

• Steps to Regaining Focus
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• What Makes You Tick?
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In order to set long term goals effectively you need to have a process you follow religiously. I mapped out how to start with that in my previous article (My Goal Planning Analyzed Step-by-Step). To set long term goals means to be forced to plan for the future. Planning is the key to all success when trying to transform your body.

Use the SMART System for Setting Goals

The SMART System is a method to set long term goals that has been proven through its use by many different people. SMART, itself, is an acronym that stands for Specific Measureable Assignable Realistic Time-related. In short, you target an area for improvement, quantify a measure to show improvement, specify who will attain the goal, determine what is realistic and then specify when it is to be completed. This approach will set your brain to work at accomplishing the goals you have set.

Set Long Term Goals That Are Realistic

When you set long term goals they need to be realistic. I could say I am going to lose 100 pounds in 2 weeks, but that just isn't realistic. It is OK to say you want to lose 100 pounds, but the realistic part is in the time it will take. You have to work your way towards the goal at a pace that is really going to happen or you will simply be at a loss when you fail to achieve the goal. It is extremely discouraging when you fail at a goal.

Flexibility Is the Key

When you set long term goals you have to be flexible. As stated above, being realistic about when you can accomplish the goal. I had a woman call me for personal training services recently. She weight 240 lbs. and wanted to weigh 140 lbs. A 100 pound drop in weight is a huge thing to undertake, but it can be done. By my calculations it would take her 15 months to accomplish this goal. She didn't like my estimate because she wanted to do it in 3 months. The amazing thing is her unwillingness to bend on that goal date. She even commented that she had been losing 1 pound a week on her new “diet” and just knew that adding exercise would get her to her goal. I reminded her that to lose 100 pounds in 3 months meant losing 8.333 pounds a week. I tried to explain why this was not a realistic goal and what the consequences would be of setting such a goal. She kept telling me that I didn't understand. Needless to say I am not working with that person. People, be flexible with the goal date. The idea is to lose the weight, right? So who cares if it takes a little longer than you'd like? The end result is the same.

Measure What You Expect to Accomplish

To me a goal of losing 100 pounds isn't even the thing I would look at. I would rather drop body fat percentage and circumference measurements before I would even look at the scale. Taking the woman I mentioned above, had I worked with her I would not have even asked about her scale weight. I would have measured body fat and circumference of body parts weekly. Based on the feedback those numbers gave me I would make adjustments. In the end we would be powering towards her goal of 100 pounds lighter and she would have been much happier. Unfortunately at this point I believe her goal date will come and go and she won't have lost anywhere near what she wants.

Set Long Term Goals For Yourself

Long term goals are something you will be working on for quite some time. As in the example above, it would take 15 months to accomplish what she wanted so how much do you think she would accomplish if she were setting the goal for her husband, mother, children or other person? I submit to you that she would fail miserably if the goal wasn't set for her and her alone. Goals, especially long term goals, are for us. They have to be something we are willing to live with. We will be working towards these goals for a good amount of time.

Set Long Term Goals You Can Be Held Accountable To

Make sure that your goals are something you can share with someone close to you. Ask them to hold you accountable. Start an accountability blog if you think it will help. Publish pictures to social media. Whatever it takes to keep yourself focused on the goal, do it!

I encourage you to let me know what your goals are. I am amazing at keeping people accountable. I can't make you do what you don't want to do, but I can certainly check in on you all the time. Tweet me (@mikemahony) or leave a comment below and I will be your  accountability partner.

Related Posts:

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• Operation Get Swole: Reloaded!
• Cardio Timing for Fat Loss
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• What Makes You Tick?