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A common understanding is that you'll be hard-pressed to meet professional objectives when you have poor health. To take action on your health objectives you have to determine your personal values and include them in constructing your health plan. Here's what you should know about those areas of deep personal interest that will influence and guide your best choices:

How important are values in terms of identifying and creating fitness or training goals?

Values are your life regulators, the tenets with which you choose to live and operate. They form one-fourth of a square, the foundational structure you build your "objectives" on top of. (The other three cornerstones are your passions, vision and purpose, all of which are intimately woven with your skills, experience and beliefs.) Once you identify your essential life values, your health goal will naturally become clearer as to whether you should hold steady, make adjustments, or set a new goal.

Values should be re-visited every six months to a year. They vary from one person to the next, i.e. the value to maintain good health for you might allow for a daily fitness or training protocol, whereas someone with that same value as well as the value of time with their family, might spend less exercise time per week.

What steps should you take to get clear on your values and especially fitness-related goals?

It’s challenging to separate what you feel is important from the modeling of outside influences, such as that of family and friends, the media and the many other environments we find ourselves in. They may have good intentions for your progress, but their advice will be short-lived unless you have already confirmed your most important values. The art in creating achievable goals is that they meld with your values, so don't find fault with yourself if you don't do what someone else does. 

Ready for the value's identifying process?  Take a notebook and pen or small tape recorder and your year's schedule book. Ask yourself:

• What is important to me in my life at this time? (Look at each life area)

• Where do I want to be in relation to my health within the next six months? (One year? Five years?)

• Am I willing to do what it takes to accomplish these?

• Which are my most important health objectives?

• Is the timing right for me to begin today?

Once your fitness-related goals are identified, how do you put them into action?

Much like the model used to diagram sentences for grammar in your earlier school days, prioritize from primary to secondary steps, etc. If this model doesn’t appeal to you, use large colored “post-its” on a wall, place your fitness goal at the top and consecutive smaller action steps beneath it in order of priority. When you think the diagram is complete, write each action into your daily planning book. Be sure they are broken down into smaller action steps you can easily manage and see your accomplishment.

Base your actions on realistic and “stretch” goals as you enter each of your primary action steps into a workable timeline. Check your day planner at the beginning of each new day and set your daily schedule to accomplish these actions. Save room for unexpected schedule demands, i.e., if your larger goal is to exercise six days a week for 45 minutes minimum you will most likely need a total hour and a half to shower and re-dress. Always build in a backup strategy to assure you'll fulfill your objective, i.e., if you miss your morning routine you can make up that time with a 30-minute walk during your lunch hour or a run or yoga in the evening.

What if you find that an unforeseen roadblock or an injury prevents you from sticking to your plan?

Plans are essential to get you into focused action, but that doesn't guarantee the actions will always go according to the plan. The plan is your workable outline. Don't over-plan or under-plan, both of which can delay your intended result. If you have an injury, it's usually best to rest your body, or try a more gentle form of exercise for awhile, but when in doubt, consult your physician. Always do your best to stick strongly to what you set out to do. There are always unexpected saboteurs, some of which are preventable, some of which are not.

-  Those that are preventable - The old strategy of the buddy system is great to get you out to exercise regularly and stick with your plan. Those days when your exercise partner is unavailable still stay committed to go alone. You could also discover a new approach and, since your plan isn't in gold, you can alter your plan, but don't do this unless it helps you meet your goal better.

If you eat foods that are not part of your standard health plan, start right in again with your next meal eating healthy rather than get upset with yourself and then continue a habitual chain of poor eating. If you continue to veer from your plan, assess the importance of your goal at this time. If you need to downscale your goal and take smaller action steps, try this next. If you need to let go of your health plan for now, mark your calendar for when you will revisit it.

If getting re-started or sticking to your plan is a problem, consider the support and accountability you could gain by working with a fitness trainer and life coach.

Laurie A. Sheppard is a master certified Life Coach and Career Strategist to mid-level professional women and women entrepreneurs who want to make quality career and personal changes.

Ready to change your life?  Contact Laurie at info@creatingatwill.com or call her at (310) 645-2874.  Sign up to receive monthly career tips