How To Actually Achieve Your Fitness Goals

A few years ago, Dr. Gail Matthews, a Psychology professor, performed a study in 267 participants to investigate how various factors influence goal achievement.

The participants were divided into 5 groups:

• Group 1: Asked to think in great detail (using specific prompts) about the goals they wanted to achieve.

• Groups 2: Asked to write down their goals using the same prompts as group 1.

• Group 3: Asked to write down their goals and also the action commitments for each goal.

• Group 4: Asked to write down their goals, action commitments for each goal, and then send them to a friend.

• Group 5: Asked to do all the above plus send a weekly progress report to a friend.

The participants had different goals including writing a chapter of a book, learning a new skill, increasing income, and selling a house.

The findings from that study gives us 4 proven strategies that we can use to successfully achieve any goal we set for ourselves.

#1. Write it down ✍🏽

Yes, this very simple act of writing down your goal does actually increase your likelihood of achieving it.

After carrying out the study for 4 weeks, Dr. Matthews surprisingly found that groups 2-5 who wrote their goals collectively accomplished more than those in group 1 who didn’t write their goals.

So, why does writing down your goal matter?

The act of writing something by hand is an active and more effortful process than simply thinking about the thing.

It engages multiple parts of the brain, particularly the reticular activating system (RAS)—the brain’s information filter that decides what’s important and worthy of your attention.

When you clearly define your goal and write it down, you essentially program the RAS to prioritize that goal. It starts directing your focus toward opportunities, information, and actions that align with your desired outcome.

Keeping your written goal visible also serves as a constant reminder of what you’re working towards so that you don’t forget or become distracted by other obligations.

However, simply writing down a goal doesn’t guarantee that you will actually achieve it. It only serves to give you more clarity on what to focus on.

To truly bring your goal to life, you need to pair it with an action plan.

Action step: Grab a notebook (or use the guide) and write down what fitness goal you want to achieve this year.

#2. Create an Action Plan 📝

The effectiveness of a written goal is strengthened when coupled with a concrete action plan—a detailed set of daily or weekly actions that’ll get you closer to your goal.

In Dr. Matthews’ study, participants in the groups that were asked to write specific action commitments accomplished more than those who didn’t.

This strategy of specifying when, where, and how you’ll take action is known as implementation intentions.

For each goal, you work backwards to identify the specific actions that will lead you to your desired outcome, and then decide when (and where) you’ll perform those actions:

When situation X arises, I’ll perform response Y.

Situation X acts as a cue that prompts the desired behavior Y.

e.g. After getting home from work (cue) I’ll cook a healthy meal (desired behavior) before sitting down to relax.

Doing this helps automate the decision-making process. By pre-determining your response to specific situations, you make it easier to engage in a particular behavior.

Instead of debating whether to act, your brain recognizes the cue and nudges you toward the planned response.

This enables you to stay consistent with the actions and behaviors that’ll help you achieve your goal.

However, life will often throw you a curveball. Certain situations may arise that keep you from sticking to your pre-determined plan.

That’s where a backup plan comes in.

e.g. If I’m too tired to cook after work (setback), I’ll order a healthy meal instead of resorting to junk (backup plan).

Having a contingency plan helps you stay on track, even when things don’t go perfectly.

And it probably goes without saying that the effectiveness of this strategy depends on your commitment to following through with your plan.

Action step: Identify the action(s) that you need to take to achieve your goal, decide when and where you’ll perform them, and create a backup plan for potential setbacks.

#3. Have Weekly Check-ins 🗓️

In Dr. Matthews’ study, participants in group 5 (the only group that recorded their weekly progress and shared it with a friend) achieved the highest success rate of all groups.

This aligns with a meta-analysis of 138 studies done on goal monitoring which found that goals were more likely to be achieved when individuals regularly tracked progress.

Tracking measurable metrics for your goal e.g., steps walked, exercises done, weights lifted etc., makes you accountable for your actions (or lack thereof).

You can take the extra step of sharing your progress publicly or with a trusted friend to increase accountability, but doing it for yourself is just as effective.

Tracking helps you see the progress you’re making in real time, and make necessary adjustments to your plan as needed.

It’s only when you have actual data on the progress of your goal that you’re able to identify what’s working and what needs to be improved.

An added bonus to having visible proof of your progress is that it also acts as a powerful motivator to keep going.

While tracking does take some time and effort, its benefits far outweigh the cost.

Action step: Choose one key metric to measure your progress. Track it consistently, review your data weekly, and adjust your plan if necessary.

#4. Visualize Failure 🧐

(Technically not a part of Dr. Matthews’ study but still a highly effective strategy that I thought I’d include over here.)

Yep, you read that right—visualizing failure can increase your chances of achieving your goals.

Most advice out there encourages us to focus solely on success—manifesting the desired outcome with positive imagery.

But research by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen reveals a different story.

In her study, participants who visualized potential failures alongside positive outcomes were more likely to achieve their goals than those who only imagined success.

This practice is known as mental contrasting.

Here’s how it works:

1. Visualize Success: Picture yourself achieving your goal. Think about the benefits, rewards, and how amazing it’ll feel when you succeed.

2. Visualize Failure: Now, imagine what might happen if you don’t achieve your goal. Consider the obstacles—both internal and external—that could stand in your way, and the consequences of inaction.

3. Plan for Obstacles: For every potential obstacle, come up with an action plan to either prevent it or handle it effectively when it arises.

Engaging in this practice does 3 things for you:

• It gives you a realistic perspective

When you only focus on success, it’s easy to become overly optimistic and have unrealistic expectations. You might underestimate the effort and discipline needed to reach your goal.

For example, let’s say your goal is to lose weight. If you focus solely on how great it’ll feel to see results, you might convince yourself that getting to your target weight will be smooth sailing.

But when you think about potential challenges, like feeling too tired to exercise or having late-night cravings for your favorite ice cream, you develop a more accurate picture of what it’ll actually take to succeed (and act accordingly).

• It strengthens your commitment to your goal

Our brains are wired to avoid unpleasant outcomes, often more so than they’re motivated to pursue rewards. This powerful psychology phenomenon is known as loss aversion.

When you picture the consequences of failure—such as feeling disappointed, regret, or missing out on the benefits of achieving your goal—you tap into your brain’s natural drive to avoid those negative outcomes.

It heightens your focus and strengthens your commitment, making it harder to give up when the going gets tough.

• It equips you with strategies to deal with failure if/when it happens

While positive visualization focuses on the rewards of achieving your goals, visualizing failure forces you to identify what could go wrong and prepares you mentally to handle those situations before they even occur.

Instead of being caught off guard by obstacles, you adopt a proactive approach.

Athletes do this all the time. Marathoners often train in high-altitude conditions to prepare their lungs for low-oxygen environments. By simulating potential challenges ahead of time, they ensure they’re ready to handle the real thing.

Action step: Identify the barriers that may prevent you from achieving your goal and come up with a solution for each one.

And there you have it—4 powerful, evidence-based strategies to help you not just set, but actually achieve your fitness goals this year.

I’m genuinely excited to put these strategies into action for my own fitness journey, and I hope you’re feeling just as inspired to tackle yours.

Remember, progress is about consistency, persistence, and having a plan that works for you.

Here’s to making 2025 a year of big wins, personal growth, and crushing our goals together! 💪

Thanks for reading! I hope you found something valuable :)

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