A goal without a plan is just a dream!

Why? Because nothing amazing was ever achieved without a strategic plan in place! You may have dreamt about losing a stone, but how are you going to get there? You may have dreamt of running a marathon, but until you've run numerous miles in training, running 26 won't be a possiblity!

Think of all of the new years resolutions that you've set in the past? How many do you currently still implement? Probably very few.

And in the most part that is due to having no strategy in place to get you from A to B on to C and beyond.

A popular year round goal up and down the country is to lose weight and get healthier. Well how do most people go about doing this... joining a gym and winging it!

Chances of succeeding? Probably about 5%. I say 5% because there is always that odd person that stumbles across the line.

How to ensure you reach your goal

I've been training in a gym now for more than 10 years and I still NEVER go through those doors without something down on paper! I have my goal, I have this larger goal broke down in to lots of smaller objectives, and then I craft out my strategic route (training program) to get there from the moment I step foot in the gym!

It's the same with all pro athletes... they all have plans and programs to get them to their physical peak. When is their defined end date (competition) and what do they need to be doing on a daily basis to get them performing at their maximum on this date.

So, whether it be to craft your own, or to work with a pro who guarantees results, do yourself and everyone else around you a favour! Don't wing it! Get a strategic program in place that is mapped out to get you to your larger goal... and get those smaller checkpoints in there to ensure continual monitoring of progress! This is going to provide regular HUGE boosts for your motivation, as well as justification as to why you are doing this. 

So do you want to get stronger? Well focus on adding those 2.5 Kilogram plates each side of the bar week on week. That's a lot less daunting than your goal of wanting to increase by 20kg.

Do you want to lose body fat? Well focus on consistently hitting the gym 3-5 times per week, combine this with remaining in a calorie deficit consistently and this body fat will fly off! Focusing on a daily checklist of achieving two things that you have control over is a lot easier and less daunting to achieve than just coming out and saying "2 stone".

It's incredibly admirable that you've decided to make the change... now do something for yourself that guarantees this change happens and you can sustain it! That's even more admirable!

2019 is a year for success! And that starts with your health! ??

Ben Foulis | Founder of LDN Performance.