Welcome to 2023!

I want to talk to you about annual planning as we start the New Year. We do it here at the gym, and I’m sure you have an annual plan, too. It probably involves vacations, birthdays, major events with the kids, holiday gatherings, and maybe even financial stuff.

But do you have a personal annual plan for your fitness?

“Work out regularly all year” is an excellent general plan. It’s simple, and if you stick to it, you’ll be fit and healthy. But you can break it down with some specifics and milestones. If you do, you’ll have things to work toward and accomplishments to celebrate. You’ll also add a little variety to the year to keep things fresh. You might even inspire someone close to you to be more active! I’ll give you some ideas of things you might add to your annual plan for fitness:

• Do four outdoor workouts in the month.
• Work out X times per month to total X workouts in the quarter.
• Plan a weekend outdoor adventure trip free of motors.
• Bike on the Douglas trail with a friend.
• Bring a friend who could use support to a workout. Let us know we will make it happen!
• Teach a family member how to pick something up safely.
• Try a new sport—like golf, swimming, archery, cycling or something else.
• Try to achieve a 10,000-step monthly average.
• Participate in a nutrition kickstart or talk to a nutrition coach about food goals.
• Book a personal training session to work on a particular skill.
• Sign up for a specialty program in an area of interest.
• Participate in a local fitness event—either for fun or as a competitor.
• Get a massage or consult a Physical Therapist to address a nagging issue.
• Focus on rest, recovery, and stretching for 30 days straight and see what happens.
• Cut alcohol for a month.
• Add one extra workout a week for a month.
• These are just a few things to get you thinking. I bet you can come up with great personalized activities to add to your “fitness calendar.”

You can do this old school with a paper calendar tacked on the wall, or you can enter stuff on your phone or laptop. Use the system that works best for organizing your important dates and events.

Here’s my New Year’s request: Add four things to the calendar right now—one per quarter. Challenge yourself or lob a few softballs across the plate—whatever you prefer. The point is to get you thinking about a year of fitness and fun. I bet there’s something physical you’ve always thought of doing. Put it on the calendar!

Now add this every 90 days: “Meet with Coach to talk about my goals.” In those meetings, I want to find out what else you’ve put on your calendar so we can help you make a plan to accomplish everything. If we connect every quarter, we will be up to speed and can offer you the most support. I’ll also be the first to high-five you when you hit a milestone or cross something off your list.

January is the time to make this plan. Get some stuff on your calendar, and let’s crush your goals this year!

Joshua J Grenell- Email me at [email protected]

P.S. Is there something big on your 2023 calendar already? let me know what it is!