This is one of the questions I get asked most on Instagram – how do you use the bullet journal to improve your fitness?

1. Set big goals

I believe that the right goals are progressive and build on things you have already done. My first true training plan fell into place because I wanted to climb nearly 6000 metres to Everest base camp, and while I wasn’t using my bullet journal to track it, I did learn how powerful the motivation of a faraway and slightly scary goal you’re determined to achieve can be.

These days, I set my goals for the year – and one of mine was to build on the trek experience by completing a 100k hike.

2. Break them down

In order to get where I want to be, I have a few key focuses. One is a regular set of weekly workouts designed to improve my base fitness level. I tend to change it up between pilates, strength training, circuits and my absolute favourite, spinning. I set a number of monthly workouts (20, or around 5 a week) and I also lay out my workout plan for the week in my weekly spread.

3. Keep tracking

I log my daily step count and set an overall monthly goal I want to beat. keeping a running total means that even if I miss the 10k daily target on a busy day, I can catch it up by doing an extra 2.5k over the next four days. Don’t let a bad day derail you!

4. Review regularly

Making the time to review and reflect makes a huge difference to my fitness practice. Did I miss a workout last week? Why? How can I plan better this week – or if it’s missing mojo, who can I train with to help me stay accountable? This critical practice can be tough to do but is really worth it.

5. Change it up

I regularly use different tracker formats and microgoals to prevent my fitness planning from getting too routine. Just like the workouts themselves, progression is important and I love incorporating new ideas and inspiration from other members of the BuJo community.

Other ideas? Please let me know how you track your fitness goals in the comments!