Let's talk about goals

It’s February, can you believe it? January 2021 was approximately 2.5 years long, but we made it through. With a new year squarely underway now is a good time to think about goal setting, if you haven’t already done so. 

Life during the pandemic has sucked, we get it. The idea of goal setting right now isn’t exactly appealing. There is still a ton of uncertainty, many of us are struggling in one way or another, and it’s hard to think a few hours ahead, let alone weeks or months. On top of that, it seems each week brings us some new and even more ridiculous distraction. Despite all of this, now is the perfect time to have a goal, a purpose, some direction, or just something to hold on to. It’s vital. Being grounded and centered when the world around you is spinning out of control is going to keep you sane - and give you a leg up.

I’m not suggesting you set groundbreaking, massive goals right now. In fact, that would be the wrong approach if you’re struggling with the basics. Goal setting must be done in such a way that your goals are achievable. For example, if you’re having a hard enough time getting out of bed in the morning and slinking over to the couch to log on to work, then a complete body transformation isn’t happening. That’s ok; there can be other goals you set that can eventually open up the possibility to major change over time. 

We talk about this in our post discussing an additive as opposed to a restrictive approach; small, meaningful changes, performed consistently over over time can yield big results. We should approach goal setting in this way. For a great primer on this, read Michelle Young’s post “Making Fitness Fun in 2021:Performance Goals”

Set achievable objectives (the concrete steps you’re going to take to achieve your goal), celebrate the small wins, and set new goals. If you’re going from a sedentary lifestyle and you want to run a 10k, you’re not going to just get up, put on some shoes and run it. You’ll probably start with walking, or a combination of walking and jogging. You’ll go for shorter distances and build yourself up. Those steps along the way are as important, if not more important than the end goal. Set those objectives in stone and when you achieve them, give yourself that win and celebrate, this will fuel you as you tackle your next objective and eventually, your larger goals. 

Let's say you’re having a hard time motivating yourself and are feeling low on energy. Walking once a day for a minimum of 30 minutes can help with your mood and energy levels, and unlock loftier goals, such as losing weight, achieving a specific athletic feat, or just generally setting the bar higher for yourself with your next goal. The objectives to achieve this kind of broad goal are pretty straightforward and achievable, even if you’re not in a great place. Go for a walk, move for 15 minutes, get 8 hours of sleep, etc. We’re not reinventing the wheel with this stuff. Each one of those objectives can be broken down even further if you need that kind of thing. You can experiment with different objectives and arrangements to achieve your goal as well. Perhaps you need to move more, or you may be someone who is greatly affected by diet. Let yourself experiment and learn. 

One important note about goal setting and objectives is that in many cases, the goals and objectives being set may not be right for you. Circumstances strongly dictate the goals you set. For instance, if you’re recovering from surgery, your short term goals are going to be different than the short term goals of an athlete at peak performance. For myself, my motivations have been all over the map when it comes to goal setting, and in many cases I’ve needed to reassess what goals I’m setting and why I’m setting them in order to achieve desirable outcomes. This is why Nicely Fit Co. requires an assessment prior to training - goal and objective setting is a uniquely personal thing. When Nicely Fit Co. started out, we had lofty goals indeed, but one year into covid, we’ve had to adjust to realities and set goals that make sense for our circumstances. 

One thing we hear a lot of is “I want to lose weight”. Indeed, an admirable goal, one we encourage for health reasons, however, I would encourage anyone to pause and really think about why losing weight is important to you. Weight loss is such a charged topic that functions as a catch all for all kinds of health and body image insecurities, fueled in many ways by unrealistic expectations and media imagery. With any form of goal setting, first take a step back and consider why this goal is important to you, and whether there are other, more applicable goals worth setting. If you want to lose weight for health purposes, for example, first consider your health baseline. If you’re engaging in unhealthy behaviors there is a bigger issue at play, and perhaps the goal should be along the lines of “establishing a healthy lifestyle”, defining what that means to you, and setting clear and measurable objectives along the way. If you’re feeling bad about your body, well, there are plenty of ways to address that too, and I would argue the thrill of hitting that 1 rep max target can be more rewarding than losing the next five pounds.  Remember, skinny people can be just as unhealthy as those who are overweight!

Remember, when setting goals it is important to consider why you want to tackle the particular goal, your personal circumstances, and what concrete steps you will need to take to accomplish that goal. 

With that, we encourage you to take some time and think about a goal you can set for yourself for the coming year. Again, it can be as seemingly small and simple as moving 30 minutes a day or as big as running a marathon. But set the intention, be clear on your motivations, and tackle it! You’ve got this, and Nicely Fit Co’s got you!

Let it be known that my goal for 2021 is to end the year no heavier than 230 lbs and to do a pullup again.