The importance of goal setting.

When it comes to working out, what is your goal? Is it to tone up, build muscles, lose weight? People often start going to the gym with the ambitions to achieve all that, but forget to break down their goals to more specific ones. How much weight do you want to lose? What is healthy for you? And what is your time limit for this?

I think that people often underestimate the importance of setting goals. It's what you need in life to move forward and to progress as a person, not just with your fitness and your training. It's important to set a time limit on when you want it achieved by, and make it realistic. Push yourself, make your goals big, but still realistic.

And reward yourself. Reaching a goal is rewarding enough, but boost yourself a bit extra towards reaching your goals. I usually reward myself with new gym clothes, which makes me even more excited to keep working out in the gym towards my next goal. But it could be anything, little or small. A new pair of shoes, new make up, something that you aren't allowed to buy until you have reached that goal.

Here's two pictures of me, pictures taken exactly two months apart. I'm no where near where I want to be with my body and health, but I am really getting there. These pictures just proves that goal setting, hard work and determination makes a big difference:

Don't think that I have it all figured out, I really don't, but I am working on this every day. Whenever I am near reaching my goals, I set up new ones. Always give yourself something to work towards.

This is my list of goals:

• Cut out sugar. Sugar makes me moody, makes me feel tired and really isn't needed in my life. There's a big difference in want and need, I really don't need sugar. This goal isn't just for a time being, its something that is needed worked on every day.

• Climb Ben Nevis on the 18th May to raise money for charity. And climb at least one Munro / mountain before then. 

• Have visible abs before our holiday to Sweden the 23rd June.

• Start reading more books. I've always had problems relaxing, I need to move and do something all the time. A goal for me is to be able to relax enough to sit down and read a book. It's always possible on holiday, but never at home. So this is a big one for me, at least two hours a week is a good start.

These are my goals for now, name one of your goals if you want to by pressing "comment" under this blog, post it as "name/URL" (it doesn't have to be fitness related). And remember, don't ever compete with anyone else but yourself. You can use people as inspiration, but never compete with anyone but yourself. Everyone is different, that is what is beautiful in life. We all develop, change, look and think different. So focus on yourself, and your goals.

Good morning world!

I woke up at 7.30 this morning, the sun was shining through the window, I had a good night sleep and it was all good. So, I decided there and then that today is going be an awesome day. As easy as that.

I had some light breakfast in the form of oat porridge, scraped the ice of the car and drove to the gym. After about an hour in there I thought to myself that "why waste this lovely weather with being inside all day", so I drove home, put on three layers of jumpers and took a walk around the village. Okay, with a wee stop in Craig's grandparents house for a wee chat and a coffee.

What kind of day have you decided to have today? :)

The day that changed my life.

Something that I've always been good at is remembering numbers, days and years. I'm pretty bad at Maths, those kind of numbers never really stuck in my head. But an old class mates home telephone number from 1997, my mums first mobile phone number she had 15 years ago or the date I came back from my first girls holiday 2006 seem to be things I never really forget.

Something I also remember every year is today's date: 31st January.

It's one of those days that started just like any other day, and at the time I thought ended just like any other day, but when I look back on it now I know it wasn't..

Wednesday the 31st of January 2007 was the day I met the love of my life. Of course, I didn't know it at the time. I probably didn't even know it a year from then, I just knew I was crazy in love. As time goes by, you have your ups and downs with tears and laughter, you grow older, wiser and stronger together. And one day it hits you, that day changed my life.


I love you with all my heart Craig.

Us, six years ago today.

In Sweden 2011.