52 Weeks – One Week at a Time

How do you eat an elephant?

You’ve likely heard this question when addressing how to tackle a big goal.

(As a dietitian, my first question when I heard this was, who eats elephants?)

The answer, of course, is one bite at a time.

As with so many things, we need to do a few things to accomplish something “big” – reach a goal and get results.

First is to be very clear on what you want.

People say:

Be healthier.
Lose weight.
Eat healthier.
Exercise more.

These aren’t super clear.

They should be specific and all the SMART stuff (specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, and time-bound).

“Exercise more” is more specific and SMARTER by stating, “complete 10,000 minutes of cardiovascular activity this calendar year.”

Or, you can even break it down to 600 minutes of cardiovascular this month or 150 minutes this week.

Rather than saying, “lose weight,” perhaps be specific and assess where you are now in both pounds on the scale AND body fat percentage.

You may not need weight loss but want to change your body composition from 38% to 33% - and the number on the scale may not change. (And that is okay.)

Once we have a realistic and well-defined goal – how do we get there?

One bite at a time. Or in real life? One step at a time.

The hardest part (for most people)? The FIRST step.

Getting up and taking the first step to moving more is often the most challenging part.

Plan to eat an additional serving of vegetables today and then eat the vegetable.

Not just planning to drink more water but taking in the first 4-8 ounces and continue.

Not just planning to make meals at home – but ensuring you have the ingredients, the tools, and the time to make them. And then doing it.

Now, what do you want a year from now? What is the result you want in ONE year?

A year feels like a long time - 52 weeks.

Yet, each year, we go month to month, week by week. Again, and again.

Consider what you want to accomplish this year - the next 52 weeks.

In a year, you will have results, look back and be glad you started now.

With that result you want in a year, break it down some more.

Break it down into quarters - 13 weeks. That is one season at a time. Spring is around the corner, and before you know it, summer, then you know what happens next.

What is the goal for this season?

Accomplish something each week and each day.

Get your 52 Week Journal to help you with your step-by-step goals.

What will you do each week to get you to that accomplishment?

I like to think of weeks rather than days because some days are more hectic.

What result do you want this next year?

What are your quarterly goals?

What will you accomplish this week?

Whether it is a new habit, a change in yourself, or an external goal, contemplate what result you want in the next 52 weeks.

Create those quarterly milestones. Then break down the weekly steps and accomplishments to get you to your result.

Focus on each week, do a quarterly review, and keep moving forward.

I recently created the 52 Week Journal: Weekly Accomplishments | Quarterly Goals | Yearly Results, which you can purchase now on Amazon. This journal goes week-by-week for 52 weeks, with quarterly reviews and goal-setting for the next quarter. Then, at the end of the year, you look back and see what you accomplished.

Don’t wait – start today; the 52 Week Journal can help you with your journey.