When it comes to setting goals, there is so much more that goes into it than just saying what it is that you want to achieve. There needs to be deep thought, truth, and commitment and in order to have all these things. There needs to be the reasons behind it all. What is the driving force? The “Why” - something that is emotionally strong enough for you to hold on to it when times get tough, because they will. You must know that truth in terms of your starting point. Where do you currently sit and realistically how long will it take you to get there? And finally, how committed are you? What are you willing to do to get there? Do you understand the sacrifices that may need to be taken? These are conversations that must be had with your coach so that both of you are aligned with your goals and expectations to achieve them.
Here, at OPEX South Shore we meet with our new clients up front before any training starts to have these conversations, set clear expectations, and map out a plan. We then meet with each client on a monthly basis to check-in, make sure the steps are being taken to work towards these goals and discuss what needs to be done to continue working towards them.
Here are a few of the basics when talking about Realistic Goal Setting:
Your “Why”
Saying what it is that you hope to achieve is one thing, but knowing “why” takes it to another level. There must be that emotional attachment to your goal(s) to make it something that gives it power and meaning. Throughout the course of your fitness journey, you will inevitably go through some tough moments of possibly feeling lost or discouraged, but, holding onto that “why” behind it all will give you the resiliency to keep pushing forward. Give some deep thought as to “why” you are embarking on this fitness journey, what you want to get out of it and use it as your driving force to keep moving forwards. The beauty is that each persons “why” can be different - it is a personal reason that comes from somewhere deep with emotion and meaning. At OPEX South Shore, your “why” is discussed in your first session before any training starts because, in fitness, some things are more important than just lifting weights. Know your “why” and use it!
Truth
Now that we’ve established your goals and why they are important to you, it is time to be realistic. It is important to know where you currently sit and that is why we have an extensive assessment process. Finding out what your starting point is will give us a realistic view of what to expect in terms of when those goals will be met. Our BMW assessment process of Body, Move and Work will give us a clear understanding of current body composition, strength levels, and aerobic capacity. If your goal is to look better naked, then it’s important to see what your body comp numbers are. If you want to gain strength, we need to evaluate some baseline strength tests and if you want to run a marathon, how developed is your cardiovascular system? All of these testings will give us the “truth” we need to sit down, review and map out a plan that makes sense.
Commitment
We’ve discussed your “why” and found out your starting point, so now with a realistic view, we need to find out how committed you are. There is no right or wrong on the level of commitment you are willing to give but again, to set realistic expectations it is important to know what you are willing to do. What are you willing to sacrifice? If your goal is to lose 50 pounds in 6 months, are you willing to give up your social drinking on the weekends? If you want to run a marathon in a year and have never run before and live a busy lifestyle, are you willing to wake up at 5am every morning to get your running/workouts in? If your answer is “YES, absolutely”, than great! If your answer is no, then we’ll just have to figure out what it is that you are willing to do and then reevaluate to set some realistic expectations.
By discussing all of this with your coach and checking in every month, it will keep both of you aligned together and on the same page which is so important. This is a huge part of why we believe a personalized approach works so well.
If you’d like to discuss your personal goals with us and see what a fitness plan would look like for you, than click below to book a FREE consultation.