The Truth is, Setting Fitness Goals is the Key to Success
A goal is simply an end result to something that you desire. Setting fitness goals can be the one tiny factor that pushes you to achieve your success. Creating goals instills character via setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely things you want, whether it be a better love life, more money, good health, or even competing in a figure competition.
Having clear goals is a great tool for improvement in any area because it defines a plain awareness of what one wants and what one must do in order to attain that desired outcome, such as placing first in your contest.
Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them. ~ Jack Canfield
If you’ve been told that setting goals does more harm than good, think about the soccer field. There are athletes on the field kicking the soccer ball to what…? A GOAL! If there was no goal on the filed then all the players would be running around aimlessly, probably babbling and drooling.
What if you wanted to take a trip across country? Would you just get in the car and start driving? Or would you enter the address into the GPS as the destination (goal)? Goals create a focused path to what you desire. Bottom line, every successful journey has a starting point and an ending point.
Come On… Are Goals REALLY Necessary?
I cannot tell you enough that setting fitness goals is the REAL work needed to achieve your aspiration of transforming your body. However, many people, even coaches, downplay this aspect because they don’t understand the power and direction behind it. Your goals need to be clearly written down if you want them to be woven into the fabric of your life. A clearly defined goal written on paper becomes your purpose, your priority, then raw passion that drives you forward to sticking to your action plan every day.
An Example of Setting a Goal to Have More Money
- Cut spending cost
- Start saving money
- Get a higher paying job
- Get a second job
Do you see how making just a few small tweaks can save you money? All the great successors in life say that setting goals is the primary factor in personal development and growth.
An Example of Setting a Goal to Prep for a Figure Competition
- Research to find the best contest prep plan
- Learn the steps to getting contest-ready
- Create action plan in writing (diet, training, cardio, supplements, practice posing…)
Don’t take this lightly. You need to work on your goals.
- You need to have a vivid image of what you want. Can you see yourself fit and in shape on stage?
- Have a clear understanding of the process of getting figure-ready. You need to know how much time it will take to balance working out and food prep on your daily life.
- It’s good to have a willingness to commit to the process and make it a priority. Your goal needs to override any bad habits you have and detour any distractions.
For some, setting fitness goals will be a small stake of just writing it down and creating a plan of action. For others, it can mean a total 180 in their everyday life. In either case, Wikipedia.com states, “Research has shown that a focus on goal efficacy is associated with well being factor happiness.”
Short-Term Fitness Goals
A short-term goal is geared toward accomplishing something in the near future such as today, this week or this month. An example of a short-term goal is, if you need to improve your eating habits you can set a goal to stick to your healthy eating plan 100% for a day. When you accomplish eating clean the entire day you can change that short-term goal to sticking to your diet for an entire week.
Long-Term Fitness Goals
A long-term goal is aimed for finishing something in the distant future such as next year, in the next five years, the next ten years, etc. An example of a long-term fitness goal is, to be an IFBB Figure Pro in two years from now.
Successful people in all walks of life write short-term and long-term goals as well as desired outcome which all point to the ultimate goal. No one has ever stepped on stage without having a goal to do so because it’s a driving force within you.
Cheat Sheet To Making Your Goal Happen
To make your goal happen look at the big picture first, your goal. Your goal is the ultimate of what you want, such as wining first place
. But let’s face it, if you are brand new to fitness, only been working out for 6 months, and prepping for 3 months, chances of winning first place may be a little out of reach, but not impossible. In this case, outline a desired outcome as well such as placing in the top 3. That’s still quite the accomplishment for a first-time figure competitor.
Now scale it down a little and write out your long-term goal. Such a goal would be to compete on stage. Next, outline your short-term goal. It should include what the actual things you would do to compete. Examples are working out, dieting, posing, etc. Finally, write down your immediate objective which is what you need to do to get started such as researching and learning. Easy stuff?
Setting Fitness Goals Step-by-Step Outline
- GOAL – To win First Place
- DESIRED OUTCOME – To place in the top 3
- LONG-TERM GOAL – To compete on stage
- SHORT TERM GOAL – To diet to lose body fat, weight train to build and condition the muscles, practice posing to perfection, mentally prepare with positive affirmations, etc.
- IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE – To research and learn
Once you have your list, work it from the bottom up. Start with your immediate objective, whatever that may be for you.
It’s not enough to just hope and wish, you have to make your dream a reality by putting it into written words, formulate a plan of action, and follow it no matter what. That’s it. Setting goals does not set you up for failure. NOT having goals will surely be the reason you fail.
What’s Next…
Now that you understand that you NEED written goals to get you to your destination, it’s time to get moving. Take the next step and join over 73,000 others who are transforming. Get my FREE Contest Prep Crash Course and get in on the action. See below…
