Goal setting has been a major focus for my clients and I currently. I think this has stemmed from a lack of motivation on my behalf.
After competing in my first powerlifting competition 3 weeks back, I came back in to the gym enthusiastic to get back to other training styles but with no real goal in mind.
This made it hard for me to focus and to feel motivated when I was going into my training. I wanted to get my diet on check, but I had nothing driving me to actually stick to it.
I realised that it all came down to the fact I hadn’t set myself any goals. There was nothing that was driving me to get better or pushing me to stay on track.
Why do we set goals?
Goal setting is fundamental in the gym (and in life) as it gives us something to constantly be working towards. It means that when we get to that day when we are maybe not feeling 100% motivated to train and eat healthily, there is something behind the hard work that drives us to push through it and not give in.
The ‘Whys’
Most people fail at reaching their goal because they haven’t actually uncovered why they want to do it.
For instance, when I began my weight loss journey I knew I wanted to lose weight, but it wasn’t until I realised my triggers and why I actually wanted to do it that I focussed on it and found my motivation.
For me, it was seeing photographs of me and my friends and thinking “do I really look like that?”, going out clothes shopping and clothes not fitting or looking unflattering, getting tired and out of breath just from walking.
You need to understand what it is that motivates you and it is that has made you have these goals.
If you’ve recently joined a gym, or if you’ve ever started working with a personal trainer, try to think about what got you to the point of actually doing it. What motivated you that one day to enquire to a PT or to finally get that gym membership?
Get a piece of paper, write down your goal, your why and your timeframe of reaching that goal.
This will help you to hold yourself accountable to actually reach that goal within your timeframe, but to also know why you are doing it.
Tell friends
This can work well for some people and not for others. However, it’s great to get your close friends and family involved in your goals. This will help you when going out for dinner/ on weekends as your loved ones will help to motivate you and help you stick to it.
With this said, it’s important to make sure that the people you tell are supportive and want to see you do well. There are a lot of people who may not want to see you succeed or don’t understand your ‘whys’, and these people may try to bring you down, or to stop you from sticking to your plan.
Goal setting is fundamental to keep you motivated throughout your journey. It’s so important to realise that not everyone can stay motivated 100% of the time. Everyone has those days where they feel extra hungry or tired, and sometimes you just need to take a rest or have an extra meal.
Balance is the most important thing to keep you going, if your lifestyle isn’t sustainable then you’ll end up rebounding. So if you take anything away from this article, make sure it is that your goals are sustainable, time bound and ensure that you know your “whys”.
