When you set short term goals for working out, you increase your chances of seeing positive results. To be effective, short term goals must be clearly defined, incremental and manageable. Setting short term goals will help you to stay motivated as you work toward achieving your optimal fitness level.

One of the reasons that people don't adhere to their fitness goals is that they expect too much to happen too fast. If you haven't run in a long time but suddenly decide to run five miles a day, you might be disappointed in the outcome. Your muscles need time to develop and adjust to the new workout regimen. Setting short term goals is a perfect solution.

To set short term goals in the running scenario, you'll first want to get out and run to determine your starting point. You might find that you are only able to run a few blocks, or maybe you can easily run a mile or two. It does not matter where you start; in time, you will reach your eventual goal of five miles a day. What matters is that you first clearly define your short term goals.

Once you have determined your current state of endurance, set incremental goals. If you are able to run three blocks without stopping, maybe the next day you will push for four blocks. If you are able to run two miles, maybe your short term goal will be to run two and a half miles by the end of one week.

For short term goals to be effective, they must be both incremental and manageable. Any time you are trying to achieve a challenging goal, tackling it in small pieces will help you to stay empowered and encouraged. This involves acknowledging your own efforts and pushing yourself to work just a bit harder each time to achieve the next level of fitness.

Writing down your short term goals is especially helpful if your workouts involve more than one activity. For example, if your fitness routine involves stretching daily, doing sit ups and push ups, stair climbing and going to a yoga class twice a week, you'll want to outline incremental and manageable goals for each of these activities.

When you write down your short term goals, it makes it easier to determine how close you are to achieving success, particularly if you engage in multiple activities. Maybe you don't enjoy stretching and need to spend more time on flexibility exercises. You can decide how many minutes you want to spend on stretching activities and then by the end of each week, gauge how close you came to your goal.

Short term goals can make a difference in your workout routine. Clear, incremental and manageable goals will increase your motivation and your sense of accomplishment. Using this strategy, you can achieve your long term fitness goals in no time.