We're all unique individuals with differing opinions, but one thing I think we can all agree on is that quarantine life sucks! For me, not being able to see family or friends in person is probably the most draining aspect of it all. 

But there has been some good to come out of it, and that's time to reset and refresh. If you haven't looked at it that way or haven't had a chance to breath, I urge you to do so. Take a second and pause, and relax. 

Did you do so? Great!

Now, one productive thing we can do with this time is set goals. Evaluate goals that you made and see if you need to tweak them or if you're on the right track. Establish new goals. Think of things you never thought you could accomplish and set a goal for it no matter how insurmountable it may appear to be. You never know unless you try! 

​When we set a goal then reach it, it’s a great feeling. You feel good inside, maybe even pat yourself on the back for a job well done. On the flip side, when we set a goal and don’t reach it, the feeling isn’t so good. We all have different ways of how we deal with a failed goal. Some of us brush it off and set another goal, while a failed goal for some may result in resisting to pursue another.


Here are two things I want you to understand as you set those goals: 

1. You will set goals 
2. Some goals you will accomplish, others you won’t 

For the ones you accomplish, great! For the ones you don’t, so what? Move on to the next one. It’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t matter in what arena you set a goal in, be it fitness, professional, or some form of personal goal, your duty is to give it your best effort. As long as you do that, whatever the outcome may be, just live with it. It is what it is. No use in harping over the failures. Learn from what happened and move on. 


Sometimes with our goals, we set them to be out of reach, unrealistic, or unattainable, and set ourselves up for failure. 


Whatever your goal is, whether it is small or large, develop a plan of action. You may have heard of the acronym SMART coined by Peter Drucker. It stands for:


Specific - simple, sensible  
Measurable - indicator of progress, motivating 
Achievable - attainable 
Realistic - state what results can be achieved, given available resources 
Time-related - specify when the result, or results, can be achieved 


This is a great way to break down your goals, and ensure that you are setting yourself up for success. 


Let’s learn from our mistakes, and limit our failures. Make sure we put ourselves in the best position to accomplish as much as we can. Let’s begin to raise the bar.


Be Greater!

What's the best time to workout? 

In one of our previous posts we discussed that the best time to workout is whatever time is best for you. 

Now with having to be confided to the comforts of our home for the time being and not being able to go to the gym (if you do workout at the gym), your routine is probably all out of wack. 

So what do we do about this? 

By now you've switched to home workouts to keep yourself going. I suggest doing your workouts as early in the day as possible if you can. 

Doing your workouts earlier in the day will release endorphins and give you more energy as you go throughout the rest of your day. 

Your workout will be done and out the way so you don't have to think about squeezing it in later in the day. If unexpected tasks or distractions come up during the day, you don't have sacrifice your workout. It'll already be done! 

This may be a challenge at first if you're not used to it, but our bodies are good at adapting. We're creatures of habit. By establishing a pattern, after a few weeks it'll become a habit. 

Give it a try, and comment on the impact it has on you! 

I want to go back and revisit a post from two years ago about consistency. Especially in these times, I think it's an important topic. We can all agree that when it comes to getting something down pat, to make something a habit, it's about consistency. 

​It's the Consistency Factor. And when we create a pattern, a pattern that is for our good, it'll take a whole lot to break us out of that pattern. 

If you've always wanted to get into a workout routine, but felt that you didn't have the time, now is as good a time as ever to begin your pattern of working out. 

Some tips on getting started: take it easy and keep it simple. 

Don't try to workout every day of the week and jump to 1 hour workouts. 

Start with 2 or 3 days and for 20-30 minutes for those days. All you're trying to do right now is to build a pattern, make it a habit. 

Go for a walk a few days out of the week. It's a nice simple workout if you are just getting started with your workout journey. 

For my intermediate and advanced readers, you can use some of the objects that are right in your home. 

Place a chair behind you to do sets of squats. Walk up and down your stairs about 3 times. You'll be surprised how quick you feel the burn. 

Working out can still happen. It's all about if you want to make it happen. And if you do, there is no magic pill, no drawn out secret, it's just a matter of consistency.