In the fitness industry, we are encouraged to set goals for ourselves. These types of goals can look like anything from losing body fat, gaining strength, setting a new PR (personal record) with a specific exercise, run faster, etc. Although, a lot of us have an easy time coming up with the goal (sometimes we have a problem with coming up with too many goals), so that isn’t the issue. The biggest issue with goals is actually achieving them within a decent timeframe.
Some of us reach our goals too fast, which can lead to the goal being met and the forgetting about it or on the flip side, many of us face with having a goal but only putting forth some effort. Typically, the reason why people have a problem reaching their goal is due to not putting forth the right effort because they don’t know how to. This is where systems come into play. In order to reach a goal, you need to have a system into play that will get you there.
Focus on the process, not the goal.
A system is something you do on a regular basis that works towards your goal. We chat a lot on here about consistency and that is exactly what a system can do for is.
Setting up a system isn’t black and white. However, there are steps you can take to set yourself up for success with a system.
Be SMART
We say SMART to mean a couple different things. When setting a goal it is important to be smart about it. A way to figure out what is smart for you is to follow the acronym SMART. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. When your goal follows these five rules, then your goal becomes more of reality and not just something you are going to ‘try’ to accomplish.
For example, if your goal is to deadlift 400lbs then you need to take a look at your goal and the SMART steps. Is it realistic? This could possibly depend on what your current deadlift weight is at. Is it measurable? Yes. Is it achievable? This depends more on what efforts you can put forth accomplishing the goal while not increasing the chance of injury. Is it relevant? This is something you have to ask yourself. Is it time-bound? Yes, typically with goals you want to set a realistic timeframe to complete your goal by.
Establish Repetitive Action Steps
This is the party of the system that is going to hold you accountable. Using our deadlift example, some action steps you might use are:
- Dedicating 1-2 days a week specifically to strengthen the muscles that are involved in your deadlift.
- Making sure those muscles are getting proper rest and recovery before stressing them out again.
- Defining what a good progression weight looks like so that you can measure if you are on track each week with your deadlift weight.
Write it Down
Sure we love a good sticky note on our bathroom mirror that reminds us of what we strive to achieve, but we are looking to be a bit more specific about it.
Take out your calendar and literally put in your calendar the days you are going to be working on your goal and how. This could be deadlifting at the gym, focusing on mobility, 10 minutes of stretching every day, drinking enough water, eating enough carbs and protein, etc.
Also, you will want to write down your ‘mini goals’ if that is an important step in your system too. For example, with the deadlift goal, you will want to keep track of your progress weight along the way.
Not only does a system work when it comes to achieving your goals it also boosts your self-esteem daily because each day you are accomplishing one of your actions that gets you to your goal.
And now that you have accomplished your goal, here are 3 Ways to Ensure Your Goals Actually Stick.
