Five Steps to Setting Goals (and Achieving them)
By FR Coach Alanna Maniatis
Often as coaches, we get the question “how do I get ____?” Every time that blank space is filled with an end goal; pull-ups, double-unders, handstand push-ups, you name it.
The issue we find with this is often not the goal, but the approach to accomplishing this goal.
We, as a society have been conditioned in the last 20 or so years to receive instant satisfaction – this is no secret. Post a picture on Instagram, and within seconds we are dosed with releases of dopamine, because someone “liked” what we shared. This same outlet has also conditioned us to expect things that other people have. We say to ourselves, “I saw online that _____ followed this program/nutrition cycle, and they reached ____ goal!” While that’s great for THEM, and that program MAY work for you, it is not always realistic to expect to get the same results with the same actions.
What works for other people does not always work for us. Our bodies are unique and respond to different stimulants in various ways. We use this reasoning when it comes to many components of our lives (i.e, Using a particular cosmetic brand over another because the way your skin reacts), so why not fitness?
What’s a better way to approach this?
For starters, there should not be only one goal written down in that journal, log, Iphone notes, or that whiteboard in your kitchen. Instead that end goal should be at the bottom of the page, in sight, but not the main focus.
Some food for thought…
Let's say you go to the movie theater: you purchase a pricey ticket, buy all the snacks, then sit down just for someone to tell you the ending to the movie. Most folks would say that the movie was "ruined." But why? You have the result you came for! You saved all that time by just skipping right to the end.
But wait, you wanted to enjoy the movie, right? Maybe you want to be able to watch it from your perspective, and form your own opinion. Now you have the end goal, but its sloppy, you don’t have all the intricate details to the story, and will soon forget the whole thing because you missed learning the ‘why’.
Start enjoying the process of learning a new skill just as you enjoy learning the plot-line to a good book or movie. Here are some tips on how to do so:
1. Understand your body
Trial and error is OK, and failing a couple times before you succeed is NORMAL. It is easier to understand what works for us when we are able to eliminate what does not work. The important thing is never repeating the same mistake twice. But also keep in mind: Everyone has varying metabolisms, genetic factors, and allergies. Mix in all these biological responses with completely different eating times, sleep schedules and external responsibilities. You will realize that your path needs to be your own, and is unique from anyone else’s.
Ex (1): You feel the difference when the bar makes contact with your hip pocket, rather than at the bottom of the pockets on the snatch. Great! Now focus on being consistent with that good habit, and what cues got you to that point. Soon, you perfect that aspect of the snatch, then can focus on another aspect to ultimately improve that lift as a whole.
Ex (2): I used to take some form of whey protein post-workout, but I found it left me feeling bloated and rapidly gaining weight. I learned from this error that I have a slight intolerance to dairy, so I adjusted to either take soy protein or eat only naturally occurring proteins in meats/nuts.
2. Set Manageable Goals
If your goal is to get consistent double-unders, ask yourself what you are doing each day to get closer to that end goal. Are you setting aside, at minimum, 5 minutes a day to practice? During that 5 minutes do you have a focus?
Solution: Set aside 5 minutes a day, on Monday’s you go into your 5 minutes with the clear focus of practicing your jumping pattern, on Tuesday you’re going to focus on your wrist speed, Wednesday is dedicated to jump height, and so on…
Maybe your goal is a cleaner diet; OK, well let's start by taking a look at your current diet. What is your most challenging meal to stay on track with? Do you crush it during the week then crash and burn during the weekends?
Solution: Start by tackling one deficit at a time. Plan ahead of that difficult meal, focus entirely for one week on improving that ONE meal. Then maybe the next week you focus on only having one cheat day on the weekend, instead of two.
3. Stay Consistent
Nothing works unless you do… cliché right? But, TRUE. The main point of this article is to help those reading it to recognize that accomplishing certain goals takes time and patience. Most importantly, accomplishing anything takes commitment to the process. I can almost guarantee anyone that practicing a little extra before class for only one week will not result in them becoming the worlds best jump-roper. Muscle memory only occurs after repeated practice and development of skill.
4. Celebrate The Milestones
No matter how large or small, find accomplishment in the victories. Let's stay with the double-under example: You stopped donkey kicking back, or pike jumping -- BOOM, victory. Last week you could only string together 8, and this week you strung together 11; BOOM, another victory. Yeah, it isn’t anything to post on Instagram, but that’s the point.
5. Understand Your Why
What is your why? Why do you want to be better at double-unders? Is it to “RX” more workouts, brag to your gym BFF, or because you want to just better yourself. No matter what it is, keep your why in the front of your mind. If your why does not involve anyone other than yourself; use it as an opportunity to accomplish a goal for YOU, not for social media.
***
Trust the process, trust your coaches, and trust yourself. Do not count out something just because it seems immediately unattainable. Put in the time, chip away at the struggle, and one day your efforts will be rewarded.