You've Heard of the food pyramid?

Now, let's create a "Healthy Lifestyle Pyramid."

Why was the food pyramid so inaccurate, yet so popular? Because it gave us goals.

Each Monday, during my 8 week training, I will set personal goals for myself. These weekly goals will be like climbing a ladder to the top of the pyramid. At the top, "healthy lifestyle," as defined by my Complete Physique Personal Training Plan.

Each step get's me/you closer to the ultimate goal of Healthy LIfestyle. Each step represents a Crucial Element (CE) that must be mastered in order to move to the next level.

In general, Everybody will have goals, both short term and long term. But, how often do we actually achieve them? Inc. Magazine reports that "92 percent of people don't achieve their goals." The other 8 percent start by "setting challenging and specific goals." (but not too hard)

For example "I want to lose 20 lbs by the end of the year." That's challenging, but not specific. "Eliminate vagueness and make it more achievable by stating it this way: During the month of August, I will lose five pounds by cutting off refined sugar, breads, and all fast food. I will also walk briskly for twenty minutes every day.

When you have that much clarity around your goal, your chances of hitting the mark increase dramatically."

This is a very similar to what I am doing with my 8 week training, and what I often suggest to clients. Put your eye on "healthy lifestyle" not weight loss (that's a side benefit) and then begin each week by creating small, attainable goals (crucial elements), that will walk you up the ladder to your ultimate goal - healthy lifestyle.

Short term goals can easily be reached, it's the long term maintenance that is the most difficult.

Last week, I talked about the importance of routine with exercise. Create your plan at the beginning of the week and put it on your schedule. If you want to be successful with the CE's of Healthy lifestyle, you have to have a plan. You can't wing it.

This week, let's work on accountability. Use a feedback cycle to track progress. According to Inc. Magazine "You're human -- you're bound to fall back into old habits, procrastinate, or lose motivation. To counter these things, your chances of hitting a specific goal increase greatly if you're getting frequent feedback that will keep you on track and help you to adjust accordingly. That's why the coaching profession is booming. People who are dead serious about meeting their goals benefit tremendously from the feedback and accountability system afforded in a coaching process."

Over the next 8 weeks, my journal and yours (if you're with me) will be that accountability. Your creating your own lifestyle "bible." What works for you, what doesn't. Make your goals with exercise, nutrition, flexibility, and nutrition achievable. Write all that you learn about yourself in your journal. Check back next week for the next step in the process. Good Luck!