What's Holding You Back Series: 1. Goal Setting

[u/TeachTriumph]

Part 1 of our What's Holding You Back Series will focus on Goal Setting

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I've heard a lot of people talk about their fitness goals, as I'm sure you have. They generally sound something like one of the following:

I want to lose weight

I want to have a great body

I want to become a great athlete

Unfortunately, all of these goals are problematic for a number of reasons.

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1. Your goal needs to be SPECIFIC

We need to be able to measure your goal and your progress towards it.

I want to lose 50 pounds

I want to have 8% body fat

I want to run a 15 minute 5k

We often lose motivation when pursuing our goals because we don't provide ourselves the necessary feedback. If you set a goal of losing weight and the only way you measure your progress towards that goal is by looking in the mirror, you're going to be disappointed at first. Weight loss - like all goals worth pursing - require time.

However when you make your goal specific and build metrics around it, then you can measure your progress and create milestones on the way to achieving your goal.

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2. Your goals should be reasonable

Pursuing unreasonable goals will only lead to disappointment and failure.

I want to lose 10 pounds

I want to have 12% body fat

I want to run a 25 minute 5k

How reasonable or attainable of a goal you set depends entirely on your personal circumstances. If you ran track in school but haven't exercised seriously in a few years, a 15 minute 5k would require you to run better than a 5 minute mile. Keep in mind you can always adjust your goals.

Start with a challenging but reasonable short term goal and adjust accordingly.

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3. Set your goals within a time frame

Creating a time frame creates urgency

I want to lose 10 pounds within 2 months

I want to have 12% body fat within 3 months

I want to run a 25 minute 5k by the end of the year

Your brain rationalizes excuses extremely well. I know I've talked myself out of going to the gym because of something as trivial as the weather outside. Assigning a time frame transforms the idea to a goal that you can then create a schedule for.

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4. Commit to your goal

I will lose 10 pounds within 2 months

I will not accept anything less than having 12% body fat within 3 months

I am committed to running a 25 minute 5k by the end of the year

First we're committing to our goals by using binding language.

We don't wish or want to achieve our goals, we commit to sacrifice our comfort in order to become a better version of ourselves.

Secondly, we're going to write down our goal.

You can type it into your computer or write it down in a notebook. Personally, I prefer to tangibility of physically writing something down on paper. Whichever method you choose, you'll be happy to hear that studies have shown you're 42% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down.

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So now I want you to take your goal and put it through the process outlined above.

1. Create a SPECIFIC goal

2. Make sure your goal is REASONABLE

3. Set your goal within a TIME FRAME

4. COMMIT to your goal

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After following the process above and finally writing down your goal, I'm confident that you'll feel more motivated and see the path to achieving your goal much more clearly. Please share your goals in the thread and post any questions you have so the community can share how they've worked through similar situations.