When you embark on a fitness regimen, you generally have long-term goals for what it will mean for your health. You’re looking ahead months or years to that elusive final destination when you have achieved everything you want to achieve.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with long-term goals – any task will be easier if you know it’ll be worth it in the end – but they can be a bit daunting. If you’re going to have to wait for years to get the result you want, what’s the point of doing anything today?
That’s why you also need to think about the short term. Every day is a chance for an improvement, even if it’s only a small one. If you can watch yourself progressing in your daily performance, that can be a huge reassurance that you’re doing the right thing, and it can encourage you to keep pushing forward.
It starts with small changes. Add a piece of fruit here, a morning jog there. They’re the base on which you build the wider dietary and fitness changes that will support your long-term growth. When you go from the small things to the big things, it makes it easier to measure gradual improvements.
You’ll be able to run longer without getting out of breath. Your muscle mass will increase. You’ll have more energy and feel better about it all. That means that on the next day, you’ll be better placed to push yourself even harder.
One thing that can make it easier to keep track of your progress is to make it a communal experience. Maybe you have a friend you can practice with or perhaps you’d rather join a more formal group, but either way, it gives you someone to provide both encouragement and competition. You can challenge each other to see those improvements and cheer every small moment of progress.
If you’re a professional, daily performance becomes even more important. You are constantly monitoring how you change every day and maybe even taking supplements to give you that extra boost. But even for the people who are seeking a more casual routine, trying to do something every day can be incredibly effective in the long term.
It doesn’t take a lot, but measuring your daily performance can form the basis for a much wider improvement in your health and fitness.
