One thing that most would-be exercisers never get around to is specific goal-setting. It is one thing to want to be fit, but without a clear goal to aim for, it is hard to stick to it. And without clear goals, motivation can be strong at first and dwindle to a stop.

Just being fit is too general a goal. Think about it this way. If you want to buy a car, you would think about buying a car. You would probably visit car showrooms or answer ads for used cars, depending on your budget and preferences. You may read about different makes of cars on the internet or ask friends for advice. You would not only think that you want to travel or journey, you would specifically think of getting a car. After all, to travel or journey can be done by bus, train, or plane.

So be specific about your goal and immerse yourself in it. For example, if your goal is to lose or gain weight, write down your goal weight. Get pictures of people at this weight. For example, if you want to build muscle, get pictures of fit and healthy muscular role models and put them up on a special fitness board somewhere you can see them. If you want to lose weight, get pictures of healthy slim people and put them on a special fitness board where you can see them. If you want to run a marathon, get information and pictures about the marathon in question and put them up on your fitness board. If you want to learn how to swim, get a calendar and write your achievements on it as you go along, for example, you can say that you learned to swim the breast stroke, or that you completed 6 lengths in the pool. Write down your goal. Write down in your diary when you are due to go for training. All this helps to cement your goal in your mind.