Week 37: Creating exercise goals

This week, Tyler discusses the importance of setting goals for a physical activity routine.

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Goal-setting is an incredibly powerful exercise. For most of us, we’ve likely had experience setting performance-based goals within the workplace. These goals are usually to develop or refine skills or competencies, or to perhaps reach new levels within an organization. Goals are normally set at the beginning of the year and reviewed regularly throughout. Goal-setting works because it provides a path towards what we really want. Reflecting on our goals enables us to understand what we need to do each day, each week, and each month to achieve them. It provides a map towards what we desire.

The great thing about goal-setting is that it can be applied to all elements of our lives. Our relationships, career, personal development, or habits. Setting goals enables us to recognize what we want and how we can achieve them. This can be applied to a new physical activity pursuit too. Setting small, measurable, and attainable goals early on provides a sense of direction. It allows newcomers to see where it is they want to go. Without setting goals, it can sometimes be difficult to stay motivated as there is nothing to work towards. Goals create motivation as there is an endpoint in mind that an individual wants to achieve.

I’m going to outline a few common questions that I get when it comes to setting goals. If there are questions you have that I may have missed, please include them in the comments and I will get back to you!

What type of goals should I set?

I recommend to first reflect upon what you hope to get out of your new form of physical activity. Is it to get stronger? Lose weight? Enhance cardiovascular functioning? Understand what it is you want. What’s going to push and drive you forward? Once you can answer this question, goals can be set accordingly.

How do I set goals?

For goal-setting to work, it should be done properly. Vague, generalizable goals without a timeline do not work effectively. When I work with clients, I teach them to incorporate five qualities into their goals:

• Simple: Make your goal simple and straight to the point. When you look at your goal, you should know exactly what you’re striving for.

• Measurable: How will you track progress towards your goals? How will you know where you started and where you want to end up? How can you track success?

• Attainable: Create attainable goals. Make them challenging, yet can still be attained. Creating too difficult of goals makes people less motivated and willing to seek additional ways to achieve them.

• Relevant: Make your goals relevant towards what you want. Ensure your goal is related to your objective.

• Time-bound: Put a timeline or deadline on your goal. Do you want to achieve your goal next week? Month? Year? Having a specific date in mind to achieve a goal will push people to find ways each day to make it happen.

Incorporating each quality into your goal will maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.

How many goals should I set?

Start with one goal. Incorporating too many goals becomes ineffective. With one goal, all of a person’s attention can be focused on that one goal, however with too many an individual’s attention is spread too thin. If that goal is achieved, either adapt that goal to make it more challenging or create something brand new.

Creating exercise goals will help instill a sense of motivation. If a person knows what they want to achieve, it’s much more likely to push them out the door to begin their new habit. Understanding what you want from physical activity and by following the five qualities noted above, you will be well on your way to achieving your goals.

If anyone has any questions about their goals or needs assistance setting them, don’t hesitate to write those in the comments or to send me an email to tyler.c.makepeace@gmail.com!

Question: If you could set one goal for your physical activity pursuit, what would it be?

Until next week,

Tyler

Twitter: tcmakepeace

Website: tylermakepeace.substack.com

Instagram: tylertalks.blog

ICYMI: Check out last week’s article below!

Week 36: Finding an exercise partner