4 steps to overcoming your obstacles and achieving your fitness goals

We all have goals, dreams and ambitions which we cling onto but don’t believe we’ll ever get around to achieving. Why do we do that to ourselves?

In my mind, either we’re not setting ourselves the right challenges, or we’re holding back on our true potential and propping ourselves up with excuses.

Our dreams to live in the mountains, move to Cape Town, open a café, learn to Samba, run a half marathon are all achievable. Bizarrely though, we’re not doing anything towards achieving them.

The positive impact of working towards your goal, and hopefully achieving it, will outlive the challenge itself. Not because it’s easy but because it’s hard. The highs, the lows - learning the easy and the hard way – are a refreshing shake up of life as you know it.

I have a dream. For years now, I’ve wanted to do a backflip. But to date, I have done nothing about it. What's been holding me back? Probably the same as most people: procrastination, the scale of the task, self-belief and external perception.

Here's how to get past these four obstacles and achieve your goal, whatever it may be.

1. PROCRASTINATION

The fact you have to actually do something to get somewhere is a bit of a pain sometimes. Why can’t I just do a backflip right here right now?! I’ve been procrastinating. Too busy. Mañana. One day. Next year.

To get over this, get rid of excuses.

• Don’t like your trainers? Replace them

• Don’t know where to swim? Check out better.org.uk or visit one of London’s outdoor pools

• Not enough time? Ramp up the importance of achieving your goal

• Don't know where gymnastics teachers hide themselves? Phone a friend or Google

From zero to hero is tough in anything. Even pro athletes had to be beginners once upon a time... It's never too late to start.

2. BITESIZING

By making the task ahead more manageable, we can help ourselves move forward in baby steps. To visualise how I get to be a backflip wizard, I’m bitesizing the road to success.

Take the initiative – nobody else will do it for you. What are the steps you need to go through to be successful? Having chatted for years about backflip stardom, I only looked into actually learning how to do it for the first time last week.

3. SELF BELIEF

Self-belief has got in the way too. I doubt I’ll ever be able to backflip.

Gymnastics was never my thing – too many pointy toes and futile stag leaps. But that was then. This is now. What’s the harm in trying?

If it’s at all possible, I’ll find a way. If it’s impossible, at least I know and can move on (to freediving - another dream, while living on a beach – and another).

Whatever you do, do it for yourself. Make sure you actually want your goal and it’s not just someone else’s dream projected onto you.

4. EXTERNAL PERCEPTION

What people will think when, instead of a swishy backflip, they see a swashy backwards roll, or if I’m lucky a squashy back flop, is a concern.

The judgement of others, particularly if there is a competitive element to it, can hold us back. It can also push us forwards. All achievements are relative - on you, on conditions, on preparation. It doesn’t matter. Aim to enjoy the challenge and the rest will follow.

Completing not competing works for a lot of people. Remember, you don’t have to do an organised event or race. This year, a lot of my '52 in 52' eXerK challenges have been fictitious, fanciful - but always active - tomfoolery. Get creative and dream something up yourself.

What goal have you set yourself? By Friday, make sure you’ve made one small step towards achieving it.

Annie Ross is the founder of eXerK.com. Follow her on Twitter@eXerKyourself