Most of us find the beginning of the new year a “fresh start”, a time to look back and see how last year went, and to think of what we want to achieve for the next one. But just because the calendar changes, it doesn’t mean anything else does. If you want 2021 to be different, you have to do something different to get the results you are looking for.

1. Define what you want to achieve

Goal setting might be key to athletes to achieve desired results.  An awesome way to set up goals is setting SMART goals. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. A SMART goal incorporates all of these criteria to help focus your efforts and increase the chances of achieving your goal.

• Specific goals:  Your goals should be as clear and specific as possible with what you want to achieve, specific goals have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished. When drafting them, try to answer the 5 W questions: What, Were, Who, Why, Which.
• Measurable: Tracking your goals helps you realise if you are actually making progress. Setting milestones will give you the opportunity to correct as needed.
  
• Achievable: Set goals you can reasonably accomplish to keep yourself motivated and focused on your objectives.
  
• Relevant: Is your goal important for you? Does it matter? Consider if your goal contributes towards your long-term objectives.
  
• Timely: Establish a deadline for your goal. This helps you keep motivated and helps you prioritize. 

Using the SMART goal technique, you define the steps you’ll need to take, define what you need to get there and a turning point that indicates the progress along the way. With SMART goals, you’re more likely to achieve your goal efficiently and effectively.

   2. a) Eat high quality foods in the right quantity for your goals
The secret to success is eating high quality foods (those high in nutrients) in the right quantities for your goals. 

This involves ensuring that your calories and macronutrients are on point for your desired outcome. 

  2. b) Know your Macronutrient Breakdowns for your desired goals and stick to them with consistency. 

Macronutrients is referring to Carbs, Proteins and Fats. Depending on your goal you need to alter the total amounts and % of each one. 

(Each macronutrients has a defined caloric amount which means they are directly correlated) 

Step 1: determine your caloric needs to be in a deficit, maintenance or surplus (lean, maintain, build) 

E.g. A 2000 calorie diet broken up into:

• 40% Protein
• 25% Carbs
• 35% Fat

Once you have worked out your macros, you’ll have a good indication of how to plan your meals and stay accountable. Ensure you control your nutrition across the entire week.  You’ll need to do this with discipline and minimise peaks and troughs

 3. Train smarter not harder

One of the biggest misconceptions with training is that if you are walking out of each session feeling flogged and smashed, then you will be getting results. Know the Training Volume required for your goal and how to progressively overload, so that you can continue creating a stimulus for adaptation. 

Make sure you are continuously overloading the stimulus you are providing your body. This will allow your body to adapt and become both stronger and leaner. Knowing the correct formulas on how to progressively overload without hurting yourself is crucial. Move well through a large range of motion and ensure that you’re focusing on quality of movement. Your intensity should be tough enough that you know there’s a stimulus, but not that hard that you’re over reaching your thresholds. 

4. Get better quality sleep to improve performance.

Did you know that training is actually “destruction” of the body? I.e. you’re not building your body with training/exercise, you’re actually breaking it down. It’s the recovery that is the ”construction phase” where you get the growth. Without rest and recovery, you’ll end up ina negative 

There are plenty of things you can do to get better sleep each night. Here’s our simple strategy to getting the most out of your sleep: it’s called the 10-3-2-1-0 formula  (from Craig Ballantyne)

10 hours before bed: No more caffeine
3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol
2 hours before bed: No more work
1 hour before bed: No more screen time
0: The number of times you hit the snooze button in the morning

If you want to learn a little more about quality sleep, read our blog post Why lack of sleep is damaging your health and how you can improve it with this simple formula

 5. Give yourself a chance and show some grit. 

Didn’t get results within a week and threw in the towel? Yeah, not surprised it didn’t work and to be honest, are you?

The best plans in the world are ones that are simple, easy to follow and ones that people maintain consistency with.

It doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be given a chance to be proven effective.

Long term consistency will trump short term intensity. Stick it out this year, yeah?