Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a wonderful start to the year. If you’re setting goals/new year’s resolutions for 2026, here are my tips to help you achieve them!
Firstly, it’s very easy to get carried away when goal setting. What usually happens is people set massive goals they can’t keep up with – not because they are unable to achieve them, but because they are running before they can walk, with no real plan in place! This then leads to feelings of failure and frustration, which may cause people to quit altogether. But the good news is – it doesn’t have to be like that!
So, instead of thinking big with your goals, I want you to think small (to begin with). What is your ‘big’ goal? Now, what is the SMALLEST step you need to take right now to work towards achieving that goal?
Here are some examples:
Big goal: Run a marathon
Small first step: Find a running route you enjoy and can realistically do on a regular basis.
Big goal: Deadlift your own bodyweight.
Small first step: Work with a PT to learn correct deadlift technique.
Big goal: Lose 10kg bodyweight.
Small first step: Keep a food diary and/or complete a nutrition-based worksheet to generate awareness of current diet and eating habits.
Big goal: Do the splits.
Small first step: Find a yoga class to attend on a weekly basis.
The reason it’s so important to set small, realistic and achievable goals is because:
a) When we achieve them – which is easily done -, we receive a dopamine hit that makes us want to continue;
b) These small goals are the stepping stones to get us to our big goals. Think of them as the bricks that lay the foundation of the house.
And if medium/long-term goals are too overwhelming to plan and think about, you can keep setting one small goal after another. Just keep your ‘why’ (reason for doing it) in mind as you plan these small goals, so you’re always working towards it!
Hybrid/online clients: You can now take advantage of the ‘SMART Goals’ worksheets in the “forms and assessments” section of your workout app!! If you haven’t done any yet, I recommend starting with the “Brainstorm” one to get the ideas flowing. 🙂
Let’s make 2026 the year we achieve all our goals – through using smart, sustainable methods.
See you soon!
Conni x
Conni Arnold Fitness 