If then by the end of the year you actually haven’t managed to achieve it then that will be a crushing blow that may well destroy all your motivation. However if you have several short-term goals, perhaps at the end of each month, then the pressure is always on and a deadline is always just around the corner. At the end of every month you should hopefully get that feeling of accomplishment as you tick off your personal challenges and move towards that ultimate goal. If you then fail to achieve one then you won’t be completely demotivated as another chance will be just four weeks away. If you do achieve it though you are actually able to watch your ambitions become manifest as you tick off the obstacles on your way to greatness.

You need to keep these short term goals highly achievable however. So many people I know have promised me they’re starting these crazy training routines out of the blue. They’ve said that they’re taking on these immense Olympian challenges and going to add an extra 3 stone of muscle by the end of the year. Unsurprisingly they quickly become bogged down by their training and lose their motivation as they seem unable to achieve their aims. If only they’d started out with something more believable and doable they’d probably have stuck it out for a bit longer – it’s hard to give up something you’re doing well at. At the same time however if you have an ultimate goal then feel free to make it as lofty as you like; you can achieve almost anything and if you set yourself the goal that you really want then you’ll be working towards something that really speaks to you. Furthermore, if your goal is easy and you achieve it… what then?

Another similar method is to find a role model or idol who has something close to your ideal physique. For me it’s Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 4, but you can select anyone you want. This is a great way to keep yourself motivated as it’s something you can actually see. If you want to really go Rocky style you could blue-tack a photo of them to your mirror or wall next a to a picture of yourself as you improve. Search ‘bodybuilders’ or something similar in Google and browse through the images to find someone who appeals to you, or if you want something less dramatic perhaps try ‘topless footballers’ or ‘male models’ – just make sure you delete your browsing history or it might look a little bit strange that you’ve been searching for that… (and don’t make the mistake I made of saving loads of topless pictures of yourself and other men on your desktop or in your pictures folder – especially if your screensaver browses through those pictures). Make sure when you pick your bodily role model that they’re someone who is a similar height and stature to yourself. Try as hard as you like in the gym but I’m afraid you’re never going to make yourself taller and if you role model is 6’5’’ and you’re 4’9’’ you’re going to have very different capabilities, body shapes and training routines.

Mack LeMouse

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