Do your goals typically go unmet? 　

There are more people used to failing at goals than there are people used to finding success. This is why those working in the self help industry are making a killing today. 　

The problem is the strategies typically used in the self help industry fail more often then they succeed. 　Personal trainers in NYC see it all too often.

The “Yale Goal Study” is often cited as proof that goal setting really works. In the 1950s researchers asked the graduating class of Yale if they had set goals that they wanted to accomplish in the next phases of their life. Only 3% of the class had done so. When researchers contacted members of the class 20 years later they discovered that the 3% of the class that had written down goals was wealthier than all of the others in the class put together.

That would speak very well for the art of goal setting…if only the story were true! 　

You can look through many different self help books and listen to many different motivational speakers referring to the Yale Goal Study, but it was never a real study.

One person who does know about the art of goal setting is Richard Wiseman.

He is a psychologist turned bestselling author who made it his mission to respond to the many illegitimate self help strategies being used today. He did tons of research and came up with a no-fail system for setting and achieving goals. 　

Wiseman’s book, 59 Seconds Change Your Life in Under a Minute, revealed five “Do This” strategies that are successful and five “Not That” strategies that are unsuccessful. They are listed right here for your benefit.

Do This: Set out the instructions with detailed steps.

Successful goal planning requires a plan that lists detailed steps that will lead up to accomplishment. 　If you aren’t sure how to do this, discuss it with one of our in home personal trainers in NYC for help.

Each of those goals must then be broken down into sub-goals that can be measured and which have a timeline attached. These sub-goals must be very specific.

a.. Not That Find someone you look up to and use them as inspiration for achieving your own goals.

No matter how much you admire someone else, that admiration will never be strong enough to keep your motivation high to achieve personal goals.

Studies have proven this.

Do This: Let others know what your goals are and that you are really going for them.

If you are serious about reaching your goal you won’t hide it from others.

Put it out there to your friends and family members so they can see you progress.

There are two reasons this strategy really works. The first comes down to pride. Once you tell everyone you are going to achieve this goal, you don’t want to publicly embarrass yourself with a failure. The second reason comes down to support. Once others know what you are doing they can support you in a very powerful way. Just having someone rooting for you can make a world of difference when the goal gets hard.

a.. Not That Focus on the bad elements of the goal achieving process.

Don’t focus on the bad things so much that they become a reality you have to live with. The mind is a powerful thing.

Do This: Keep your mind tuned to the positive elements of achieving your goal.

Keep the benefits of success close in mind so there is no room for the negatives.

List all the ways your life will be improved once this goal is accomplished.

Keep this list close at hand when you start to doubt or negative thoughts start to take over.

a.. Not That Negativity is forced out of mind.

Learn to deal with reality and the changes you have to make to be successful. This is more effective than trying to mentally resist the chocolate cake.

Do This: Use a reward system to acknowledge progress.

Studies have proven that people who reward themselves along the way are more successful.

The rewards should be unrelated to your goals or should help you reach your goals. If you reward yourself with cheesecake for losing ten pounds it will become harder to lose the next ten pounds.

a.. Not That Depend on willpower to get you through.

There is a reason most people struggle with willpower. It simply isn’t enough to bring success.

Do This: Set up a recording system to monitor progress.

Put your step-by-step plans, sub-goals, rewards and other program elements down on paper. This makes them real.

Set up a place to record your progress over time either in a notebook, in a computer file, or on a board somewhere in your home. This is a tremendous source of motivation.

a.. Not That Spend time imagining life after achieving your goal.

You cannot make the dream come true without real action. Thinking about how great life will be is unproductive.

Contact our personal trainers in NYC today if you are ready to put your goals into action. This is the only thing that will make the daydream your reality.

If you have trouble procrastinating or putting off your workouts until they never happen, there is a way to psych yourself up. Just make yourself get in the gym and start the workout. The trick is that those first few minutes trigger your desire to complete the workout. Getting started is the hardest part.

Sign up for your 50% Off Introductory Session by calling (212) 255-5842 or visit our website at www.methodfitness.com

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Even if you already belong to a gym, you can still work out with our personal trainers without paying any additional membership fees or initiation fees.

Just complete this form or call us at 212-255-5842, and let’s get started!

There is nothing like getting outdoors and taking a break from the stress of daily life to jump-start a weight loss journey, push you beyond a brief plateau, or just get you excited to recommit to eating right and working out with consistency.

While personal training will keep you in shape on a weekly basis, it is fun and healthy to get out of the gym into fresh, new surroundings from time to time. If you don’t have a big budget to work with you have even more incentive to plan an adventure vacation. There is no charge for fresh air and nature’s finest mountain ranges and roads!

And, what better time to take an adventure in the great outdoors than in early fall, when the air is crisp and invigorating, and the weather is still warm enough.

Here are just a few great ideas for cheap fitness adventures that your personal trainers would approve of wholeheartedly.

Swim with the Dolphins

Go to Florida or California and you can easily find resorts and adventure companies offering programs that allow you to swim with the dolphins. You will burn minor amounts of calories while treading water or swimming slowly in the water with the dolphins, but you can always enjoy other water sports to burn tons of calories, such as surfing.

Adventure Hiking

If you live near large mountain ranges such as the Rockies, you can escape into the mountains for hiking or backpacking at different times of the year.

However, as New Yorkers, we still have access to terrific outdoor hiking and mountain trekking. Just 50 miles away from the heart of Manhattan, Bear Mountain- Harriman State Park, in Upstate New York, is a fantastic place to get away from the concrete jungle, and into the real thing.

Or, venture to the Mohonk Preserve, and explore the trails of the Shawangunk Mountains, in New Paltz, New York. You can hike, mountain bike, and even horseback ride your way through 7,000 acres of preserved land. Don’t forget to stop and enjoy stunning lake views.

For those who live out west, some states such as Utah and Nevada have mountain ranges that are very remote. You could easily go 30 or more miles away from roads and civilization to experience the wild like never before.

Of course, you can also play it safe and stay within state parks for day adventures. You can also camp out for a weekend or longer in most state parks, getting out for hikes and even biking adventures during the day.

A 150 pound person could burn around 430 calories per hour while hiking. If you spend an entire weekend in the mountains with daily hiking adventures lasting at least a couple hours you could easily burn over 1,000 calories per day just during that activity!

Bike Tour of Local Tourist Destinations

If you are really tight on cash or just want to stay as close to home as possible, get out the map or look around online and note some of the best tourist features in surrounding cities. How far out you go is up to you.

Now, plan a biking tour to visit all of these destinations. You can do this in a weekend, a week, or longer, depending on how far out you want to go. Book hotel rooms for each night, carefully planning how far you can bike each day to get to each of your destinations.

All of these adventure ideas allow you to take the strength and health you have gained from your personal trainers and put your body to the test. Plus, you can relax on vacation while burning tons of calories.

A person weighing 150 pounds could burn nearly 600 calories per hour biking at a casual to moderate pace. Plan daily trips around your time that include at least a couple hours of biking round trip and you could burn 1,200 calories or more just for those trips! Even if you plan shorter trips to accommodate children, biking is a great calorie burner.

So, take advantage of these transitional months, and take your personal training to the wild outdoors!