A Trainer's Foolproof Guide to Setting and Actually Obtaining Your Fitness Goals

There's nothing wrong with having big goals, but sometimes they can feel overwhelming. To help your fitness/health goals seem more attainable, start small. If you're big goal is to run a marathon in five hours or less, an example of smarter and less intimidating goals are: running for 30 minutes a week, eventually running three times a week, and signing up for a 5K. You can still have the big goal, just be strategic and smart about how you work up to it.

Now that you have your attainable goals, it's time to write them down. If you don't have a piece of paper and a pencil in your home, jotting them down in the notes app of your phone will suffice. In my opinion, seeing your goals written down makes you want to achieve them even more. Psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews found that 70 percent of people who wrote out their goals and sent weekly updates to their friends reported successful goal achievement compared to 35 percent of people who never wrote their goals down. Find that pencil.

Once you've written your goals, have a friend or family member help hold you accountable. They can workout with you, or just set up a timeline of how often you'll update them on your goals. This will motivate you to stay on track and keep working towards your goals.

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle, but it's so important to take time to celebrate your progress. If you've lost five pounds, celebrate that! If you've been waking up and working out consistently for a month, give yourself a pat on the back! Instead of focusing on your shortcomings and what you've yet to accomplish, spend time celebrating how far you've come.