We are highly intelligent creatures where we can set a goal, develop a plan and accomplish that goal, given that it was of reasonable nature. But what happens when you achieve that goal?
The latest audio book that I am listening to is by Earl Nightingale, entitled “Lead the Field”. Earl discusses goal setting and defines success as “success is the progressive realisation of a worthy goal or in some cases, the pursuit of a worthy ideal”. This means that anyone who is on track to achieve a worthy goal is successful. This definition really got me thinking and you know what, I believe that it is absolutely true.
In a health and fitness context, we set goals and are motivated to achieve these goals. The joy of success occurs as we pursue our goal and once the goal is attained and realised. However, the excitement is never maintained once we have achieved a particular goal. You may feel content and proud of yourself, yet you will no longer have that inner-drive and exhilaration that you experienced on the journey toward your goal.
This is an all too often unforeseen trap of many fitness endeavours. Whether you want to build muscle, lose fat or improve your fitness you may get to your initial goal. But here’s the catch. Once you reach that initial goal, if you decide to maintain that goal, you may very well be setting yourself up for failure. After all, how motivating is it to “maintain” your current bodyweight?
The key is to congratulate yourself on achieving that particular goal and then set another goal. The new goal may not even closely resemble the goal that you have just obtained. Here are a few examples:
Goal Achieved: You lost 20kg.
New Goal: Increase muscle by 2kg.
Goal Achieved: You lost 45kg.
New Goal: Lose another 5kg.
Goal Achieved: You gained 5kg of muscle tissue.
New Goal: Be able to run a marathon.
Goal Achieved: You are able to perform 20 push-ups on your toes.
New Goal: Reduce your waist size by 5cm.
Of course, these should be “S.M.A.R.T.” goals, of which I discussed in a previous goal setting blog post.
Speaking personally, if I didn’t continually set, assess and then reset goals, I would have become bored of the health and fitness scene many years ago. What keeps me going in each workout is the pursuit of a brand new goal. It’s what keeps my training exciting. If your training isn’t exciting, then you should re-consider your approach.
Share on Facebook
