How to be a ‘track star’

2 mins to read
Deciding you want to move more is one thing – making it happen is something else. Learn how to stay (or get back!) on track as you work towards your movement goal.

The Experimenter

Experimenter icon

Time to give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve taken the plunge, set your goal and you've taken great strides to meet that goal head-on.

Whether you’re just starting out or ready to kick things up a notch, this is most definitely a ‘well-done-you’ moment.  


But let’s be honest: staying focused on your goal isn’t the only thing you’ve got on your plate, right? Because, life! And that means there may well be times where it’s a challenge to stay on track 
 
Don’t panic. On top of the tips and suggestions that your action plan featured, there are other things you can do, as an Experimenter, to help yourself stay on track, or get back on it if things start to slide.  

Be specific about your goals

As an Experimenter, it’s not uncommon for your attention to be pulled in a few different directions, so keeping your eyes on the prize can be more of a challenge for you than some other personality types.  
 
One solution is taking your goal   and making it nitty-gritty specific.  
 
It works like this: goals are more achievable when they’re SMART goals – that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-related.  
 
“Do 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio activity on five days this week” is already measurable, achievable, realistic and time-related, but you can make it more specific by adding in some detail like “Go for a 30-minute bike ride before breakfast every weekday this week.” 

Write those goals down

Writing your planned activity goals down is scientifically proven as a ‘keep-you-on-track’ tactic, but don’t forget you’re on a mission to move more throughout the day, too.  
 
To help with that goal, write ‘Move more!’ on some sticky notes and place them in strategic spots: put one on your computer and one in your line of sight from the couch.  
 
Research proves that mentally linking an action (like embracing opportunities to be active) with visual cues (hello, sticky notes!) equals performing that action more successfully. 

Maintain your motivation

Motivation plays a key role in helping you stay on track. Why? Long story short, motivation is the drive you need to achieve your goals. And luckily there are ways to maintain it that are specific to your Experimenter’s personality.  

5 planning and goal-setting tips for Experimenters

These suggestions will help you stay the course as you work towards your movement goal. 

1. Don’t overestimate your goal-kicking capacity

Because you’re an Experimenter, you might be tempted to try and tackle a few other health-related goals this month on top of your action plan. Best not to be too ambitious – the brain can’t handle working on too many changes at the same time.   

2. Be consistent

The fact that you’re experimental and open-minded is one of the key strengths of your personality.  But bear in mind that people who commit to exercising at roughly the same time each day wind up doing the most activity. So, if you’re planning when to exercise, remember that consistency is key.   

3. Track your activity

As you’ve already read in your action plan, as an Experimenter you love a new gadget or tool.  Using an activity tracker won’t guarantee that you’ll hit your exact exercise goal, but studies do link their daily use to spending more time moving and less time being sedentary.   

4. Take notes

Keeping a record of what is and isn’t working for you on the exercise front will tick all the right boxes for you as an Experimenter.  Studies suggest that you’ll avoid exercise if it feels like a chore, keeping notes about how activities make you feel is one way to spot – and act on – what does and doesn’t suit you as early as possible.    

5. Phone a friend

Goal-setting research proves that, regardless of personality, a little thing called accountability goes a long way.  Share your goal, and the steps you’re taking to reach it with a friend and ask them to check in with you regularly for a progress update.

 

 

Characteristics of the experimenter personality type

 

Blackmores Logo

We accept

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Paypal
  • Alipay
  • Wechat Pay
  • UnionPay
  • Afterpay
  • Facebook
  • Blackmores Instagram
  • Blackmores LinkedIn