Much has been written on goal setting as a means of achieving excellent results in fitness, health, and life. It’s no secret that if we want to accomplish anything, we need direction and focus. And fitness goals serve as guiding stars.

At some point, we all find ourselves setting goals for what we want to achieve. It’s the prevailing theme at the start of each year, too.

But, what I’ve found over the years is that while setting a specific goal tends to spike my motivation for a day or two, it’s not nearly as important for success. I’ve always set goals for my blog, coaching practice, training, and finances, but I’ve slowly realized that my day-to-day actions were much more critical for success.

And it’s not that I never went back to review my goals and my progress on them, but I found that not obsessing over the result has been much more beneficial for me.

You might set a goal of losing five pounds, squatting a hundred kilos, or running a six-minute mile, but what daily actions will you follow to achieve any of these?

• You might set a goal to squat or deadlift 315 pounds by the end of the year. But your process will be to do each workout as planned, stretch daily, and eat enough food.
• You might set a goal to lose twenty pounds in four months. But your process will be to lift weights, be in a caloric deficit, and get enough protein.
• Outside the gym, you might set a goal to save up $5,000 by the end of the year. But your process will be to stick to a budget, cut unnecessary costs, and put money aside each month.

As I said earlier, having goals isn’t a bad thing. Knowing what you want to achieve is important. But focus much more on the processes and day-to-day actions and much less on your fitness goals. You’ll find yourself much happier, and you’ll learn to enjoy the journey for what it is.

Thank you for reading! Until next week,

Philip

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