In January we discussed the importance of goal setting to achieve those things in your life that are most important. Now that spring is here, have you reached any goals or have you abandoned them? Sometimes the bigger picture seems too unattainable or you put too much focus on perfection in the process, causing you to ignore what you've gained and give up.  This will only make you miserable staying stuck in limbo. Start today with small goals and they'll add up to the main one.

If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, don't focus on that number and berate yourself for not achieving it or criticizing yourself each time you "only" lose a pound. Start by focusing on the first five. It would be unhealthy to lose five pounds in a week and long term success happens when you lose slowly and steadily.  Allow yourself a few weeks and set in place a plan to reach it. What and how many calories will you consume daily? How many days per week will you exercise? What type of cardio will you do? For instance, our high intensity Boot Camp and BoxFIT classes are an excellent place to start.

We'll always tell you in classes, it's the act of trying that makes you stronger. Little movements will help you achieve physically demanding goals. As with anything, you start where you are able, so if it's pushups on the knees then start there, but try one on the toes and keeping trying them during the next workout. One will turn to three and three to six, etc. Same as with pole tricks. Inverts start by simply getting your feet off the ground in a tuck. Then you'll take it to the next step, until you are hanging upside down from the pole with the most satisfied grin on your face.  Sign up for PoleTRICKS INTRO today, to kick up your pole skills!

And don't forget to praise yourself for reaching small goals. You might be your worst critic, but you should be your best advocate.  Write out a goal path with a timeline to help stay on track and this workbook can help with that.  Include small rewards, too, because positive reinforcement will carry you farther and is far more motivating than punishing words and/or actions.  Stay positive, focused, organized, and you will achieve the big payoff!

Small changes are key to adapting to healthy nutrition. If your diet is made up of frozen meals, take out, cereal, and sandwiches, you can't expect to go to another extreme, like the paleo diet and expect it to be easy or successful in the long term. Cravings will hit you hard, setting you up for failure and disappointment in yourself. Try giving up something every couple of weeks for a  healthier option that'll reward your body and in time, healthier eating will be your lifestyle.

For example, how much caffeine (charts for assistance) do you consume in a day? Heavy intake is 500 milligrams (mg) or more that can cause several health issues. Let's say you drink two 20oz. bottles of caffeinated soda a day, seven days a week, plus four cups of coffee. Cutting out the soda will you save you 126mg of caffeine, but another reward is the calories savings-3,500 per week or one pound! That's a pound you won't gain and you'll lose more if you don't replace those empty calories.

Choose water or green tea (40mg caffeine & high in antioxidants) as a substitute. And for an easy nutritional boost your body needs, add It Works! Greens to your water. It's an orange-flavored, alkalizing drink powder with the nutritional value of 8+ servings of fruits and vegetables in each serving that you can purchase through Melanie (248-246-2222 or email). Before you know it, you'll feel better, look better, and perform better!