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BUSINESS DAY
Friday 29 June 2018
Setting goals for that summer body SOMTOCHUKWU EPUM
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eople endlessly try to lose weight, get healthy, build a body that they would be proud of or even get better at sports but most of the time; they fail to set realistic goals. Setting goals sound pretty easy, but when it comes down to it setting the goal that will suit you, it is harder than we often think. Again and again, we set goals and they remain there, hanging over our heads, a constant reminder that we have not achieved them. Rather than working towards those goals, or setting more suitable ones, we end up reprimanding ourselves for not achieving our first goals. We often times like to think of a certain size we want to attend or a number on the scale we want to shed weight and get to, but that is not always the best approach because this could leave us frustrated when we eventually fail. The number on the scale is not and can never tell the entire story and anyone who has lost weight before knows that the process is not always linear. Weight fluctuates from day to day and hour to hour. If one really wants to get results, one must set goals that actually work. In any aspect of life, setting goals is necessary to achieve success. Dr Edwin Locke in the 1960s uncovered that employees were much more prone to be productive and motivated when they were given a clear objective. Goal setting aids a person’s need to achieve, and this fitness ambitions are no exceptions.
The Craft of Smart Anyone who has impact on any kind of goal setting probably came across the acronym smart goals. It teaches how to set actionable goals. The term SMART goals stands for; Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound. If the goal lacks specificity, it is difficult to keep exercising and to track your progress. For example “lose weight” is way too unclear. “Loose 50 Ibs in seven months” offers much more direction and allows a way to measure progress. Similarly, if a goal is out of reach, for instance, getting back to a shape and size from 20 years ago, giving up is almost unavoidable if there’s nothing to keep motivation alive. Be Specific The weight loss/ fitness goal should be clear and specific, otherwise focus might be lost and this could bring a feeling of inadequacy because there will be a lack of motivation to achieve the goal. I drafting the goals, try to answer the 5 ‘W’ questions. * What do I want to accomplish? That is, the place you want to be after the attainment of that
WOMEN’S HUB
exercise goal. * Why is this goal important? Is it because I feel fat? Objectives must be clear. A very valid reason you should be given before embarking on certain weight loss goals. Decide why you are doing it. * Who is involved? People like family, friends, doctors, personal trainer, nutritionist, e.t.c. should be put into the process of setting weight loss goals. Personal trainers, for example, could be able to tell u that losing 20 pounds in a month is unrealistic but losing the same 20 pounds in 5 months is not. * Where is it located? Determine where you want to exercise. Consider joining a class to give an aspect of accountability that is not present if you exercise alone. * When do you exercise? When setting goals for fitness and exercise, it is important to consider when it will fit into your life. Measure to Stay Motivated It is important and essential to have measurable goals, so as to track progress and stay motivated. This is to ensure that progress is assessed and help increase focus and meet deadlines sit in the goal. This could help give a feeling of excitement for getting closer to achieving set goals. Aim for the Achievable Achieving weight loss goals is difficult if the goals are unrealistic and unattainable. This reduces the chances of success. When setting fitness goals, make sure they can stretch you to the limit of your abilities but still remain possible. When a set goal is achievable, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it. Ensure Relevance This step is about making sure that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. Support and assistance is needed in achieving our goals, but it is important to retain control over them. Talk Time-bound It is necessary for every goal to have a target date. This is to enable you have a deadline to focus on and something to work towards. This part of SMART goals helps prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer term goals. Setting goals is all well and good but there are many other things involved with losing weight such things as the kind of workouts you should do. It is also important to note that the closer you get to your goal, the harder it is to reach. And the weight you want to achieve is not always the weight you can maintain. The best thing a beginner can do when starting an exercise program is to focus on the healthy behaviours coupled with the SMART goals. With this, weight-loss will not be a far stretch.
Women In Focus PATIENCE AKYIANU
REBECCA ENONCHONG
Managing Director, Barclays Bank Ghana Limited
Founder/CEO of AppsTech
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ebecca Enonchong is founder and CEO of AppsTech, a leading global provider of enterprise application solutions. With offices on three continents, AppsTech counts clients in the private and public sector across the globe and works in more than 50 countries. A recipient of Enterprise Africa’s 2001 African Entrepreneurship Award, Rebecca Enonchong was also named a Global Leader for Tomorrow (GLT) in 2002 by the World Economic Forum of Davos, (Switzerland) as part of the annual award that recognizes outstanding leaders around the world. She served on the UN ICT Task Force and the UNIFEM (part of UN Women) Global Advisory Committee on the Digital Divide. Moreover, she founded and chaired the Africa Technology Forum, a non-profit organization promoting technology development in Africa. In 2003, the US State of Pennsylvania honored Rebecca
Enonchong and the rest of the AppsTech management team with the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for SMEs. She is co-founder and board member of ActivSpaces (African Center for Technology Innovation and Ventures). She also sits on the board of Venture Capital for Africa (VC4Africa), the largest online community dedicated to entrepreneurs and investors building companies in Africa. Since 2002, she is a member of the board of directors for the Salesforce.com Foundation, one of the most award winning social enterprise of the USA and serves since 2013 on the UK Department for International Development’s Digital Advisory Panel. In order to support young entrepreneurs, she is currently a mentor and an advisor to several Africa based technology start-ups.
ppointed as Managing Director of Barclays Bank Ghana in November 2013, Patience Akyianu joined Barclays as Finance Director in November 2008 and became a member of the Board in March 2010. Prior to joining Barclays, she was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Standard Chartered Bank, South Africa and was based in Johannesburg. She had previously worked in Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana in senior roles in both Finance and Corporate Banking departments. She has over 20 years in-depth experience in Finance, Accounting, Audit and Credit. Patience has a track record of excellence in regulatory reporting, Basel II implementation, establishing strong financial controls and general ledger cleanups. Her robust focus on execution and excellent implementation skills have resulted in satisfactory audits and a legacy of sound financial discipline throughout her entire career. Under her watch, Barclays Bank Ghana Limited was named Best Bank in Ghana – Eur-
omoney 2014 Excellence Awards, Best Domestic Cash Management House in Ghana – Euromoney Cash Management Survey 2014 and Best Investment Bank in Ghana – EMEAFinance Africa Banking Awards 2014. She was also featured by Euromoney in the May 2014 edition as one of Africa’s top Rising Stars. Patience is a certified professional accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana. She is also a member of the Barclays Africa Regional Management Executive Committee and the Diversity & Inclusion Council as well as the sponsor of the Women Network Forum in Barclays Ghana. Patience is married to Kwame Akyianu, a lawyer and they have two children, Awurama and Nana Banyin.”