Monday, July 28, 2014

Goal Setting Defined

"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable."
~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Goals are an important facet of training: without them, you are just another plebe kicking rocks at the gym without a clear purpose. Goals give you something to work towards, and give your training direction. A problem that I have found during consultations, however, is setting tangible goals with clients.

An example of some thing's I hear as goals:

1. Improve strength
2. Decrease bodyfat
3. Increase conditioning

Now, while these aren't inherently bad goals, they are a little too vague for my taste. After all, you may increase your deadlift by 1 pound, and that is technically an improvement of strength, so the client has achieved what they were looking for.

By keeping goals vague, you leave yourself open to get lazy with your training. If your six month goals is to simply get stronger, that could mean an overall improvement of 10%, or as little as 0.5%: both are technically improvements over previous strength, but I know which one I would rather have. 

Goal setting is used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self confidence, as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.

Set small tangible daily goals before your long term goals, but know your long term goals and be purposeful in achieving them.

Patrick Ciera

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