What's Your Goal?

Establishing Goals

There is often an influx of new gym members around the first of the year. Many people realize their chance at starting fresh and "getting in shape" or "becoming fit". The problem is that these are vague, loosely defined terms that nobody seems to quantify. These are phrases that make us feel good about ourselves for saying them without having to put in too much thought or effort.

At the start of our training, I ask all my clients to list a goal. A single, measurable, attainable goal.

"I just want to tighten, tone, and get in shape"

 This is the most common response, and it's completely wrong. Understandable, but wrong. We all want to become "better", we just don't know how to define it. We want to be "fit", but we're not even sure why!

SMART Goals

You've probably heard this acronym before in business or school: Establish S.M.A.R.T. goals.

S -   Specific
M - Measurable
A -  Attainable
R -  Realistic
T -  Timely

I challenge everyone who works with me to come up with a single goal. Most of us have more than one goal for fitness. We probably have several. The problem is that having too many goals leads to a muddled and confusing road to progress. We end up stalling more than we make progress. We may even begin to flip-flop and change our goals - without ever accomplishing them! Ultimately, we make no progress. Many times, focusing on a single SMART goal leads to the other accomplishments we were hoping for.

"I just want to tighten, tone, and get in shape"

Becomes

"I want to lose 10lbs of body fat in 90 days."

 Excellent. Now you can start!