Even Better Than Goal Setting
It takes more than setting a goal to achieve what you want in the gym.
by Coach Rachel
October 2017 is Goal Month at CrossFit City Line! Before we start to make lists of all the things we want to achieve in the gym, let’s think much more broadly about the context of our training. The context of our training gives us critical insight into what we should be working on at the gym. Without this context, we often find ourselves losing focus and chasing goals based on what other people are doing or we stagnate in progress and lose motivation.
Setting goals is easy. If we made a list of goals we've set for ourselves and subsequently abandoned, it would fill pages.
It is a completely different matter to attain our goals. Achieving goals requires consistent hard work over a long period of time, long after our initial motivation has flagged. We are unwilling to work hard for anything over a long period of time unless we understand why we want it.
Why do you CrossFit? What do you want to get out of your training?
Who do you want to be 2-3 years from now, and how does your training fit into that?
These are important questions to have clear answers to. The answers to those questions inform choices regarding our training, our nutrition, our sleep, our weekend plans, and what accessory work we choose to do. They tell us where our focus each training day must lie. While we all have physical goals, many of us also use our training to achieve mental goals. Stress relief and improving our confidence are among the best benefits CrossFitters get from training.
Most of us find that CrossFit transforms our lives outside of the gym, because it has the potential to change who we are. Whatever our physical goals, it is critical to understand why those goals are important to us. Why do you want to be able to do a strict pull-up? Why do you want to be able to Rx workouts? What would it mean to you to be able to pull a 500lb deadlift or to weigh a certain amount? What are the characteristics of the people you admire who can do those things? Are they dedicated, adventurous, disciplined, tough, fun, focused, etc? Is that who you want to be?
We know that CrossFit is our chosen way of changing and improving ourselves, but change only comes when we get uncomfortable. We must start using heavier weight if we want to get stronger, we must focus on our technique (by regressing our skills) if we want to get faster and remain healthy, and we must refine our hidden training practices (nutrition, hydration, sleep, mental finesse, and mobility) if we want to continue to improve. This phase of training is more challenging than our newbie gains, but it is also much more rewarding, because we will build discipline and confidence that transfers to the rest of our lives.
As we enter Goal Month at CrossFit City Line, start making that wish list of things that you want for yourself. Then ask, “Why? What will it mean to me to achieve that goal? Who do I see myself becoming when I achieve it?"
If we've found ourselves avoiding pushing past our comfort zone or building discipline, remember: our lives are lived the most in the moments that we do something we never thought we’d do. Those challenges are the goals that are worthy of our pursuit.
Do you find yourself without a clear direction or needing to hash out your goals? Set up a goal setting session with a coach! We are excited to meet with you!