I believe there are two key elements required to achieve success. We primarily deal with aiding people in achieving success when it comes to their fitness. However, these factors can extend to any area of one’s life where they seek to succeed.
What are some goals you have for yourself?
I want to…
- be healthy
- look good naked
- lose weight
- get stronger
- go to the CrossFit Games
- run a half marathon
Many times, people find themselves looking around and wondering why some athletes are reaching their goals and they are not. Sometimes athletes ask us coaches, “do you do something different with athlete X (who is reaching their goals) than you do with me? “The answer to that question is no, we treat all athlete/athletes goals the same. If you find yourself not reaching your goals, there are some factors that we need to dig into deeper here. I want you to ask yourself are your goals defined?
The goals above (be healthy, look good naked, lose weight, etc.) are a good start, but to be achievable, we have some further defining to do.
1) Goal Setting
When it comes to reaching a goal, goal setting is crucial. Goals should be very specific (measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound). When defining your goals, they should be “SMART” goals for them to truly be achievable.
S – specific (ex: if you want to “be healthy”, what does this mean to you? How will you know when you “are healthy?”)
M – measurable (ex: how much weight do you want to lose?)
A – attainable (ex: saying you want to win a gold medal in a sport you have never played, unfortunately this probably isn’t realistic…)
R – relevant (ex: if you want to complete a triathlon you shouldn’t be only showing up to heavy lifting days)
T – time bound (ex: what is the timeline for this goal- when do you want to accomplish it by? not “within the next couple months” …what day specifically?)
And you cannot forget the importance of having an emotional attachment to the goal you set. This means this must be something you are passionate about; your desire to achieve this goal needs to get you riled up. You need to want this so bad, that when the going gets tough you will be willing to fight for it, because you want it so much for YOU!
Okay, so now the difficult part for most, putting actions to your words.
2) Self-discipline/Self-control/Accountability
Every day opportunity presents itself. For some, opportunity has a positive connotation, but it’s merely a set of circumstances that makes something possible. Sometimes I don’t think we even realize how much opportunity we are presented with on any given day. From the minute we wake up, BOOM opportunity! From what we eat, wear, do, to how we do it. Opportunity is endless; what you do with one opportunity in turn breeds subsequent opportunity.
All the choices we make when circumstances arise allow us to define ourselves, set our standards, sharpen our character and achieve success/reach goals. When circumstances arise we make choices. The characteristics we possess, our level of commitment and the rationale we use to make our choices determine the outcome of events. What standards/guidelines do you have for making choices?
Opportunity is often referred to as “life” and for many, often “life” threatens to ruin our plans for ourselves. What do we mean by “life”? Visits with friends/family, holiday parties, dinning out, emotional overload, lack of time, being tired, lack of confidence, working long hours, raising kids, lack of sleep, death of a loved one, a bad break-up…
All the examples of “life” given above are the things that people constantly use as an excuse for why they aren’t getting what they want in life – reasons why they can’t make it to the gym or eat well.
I know it’s hard to believe, but all that stuff is a part of everyone’s life (even those who are successful encounter “life” on a regular basis)!
The people who are the most successful in the world, who achieve their goals, who capture their dreams, are no different than you and me. The only difference comes down to whether we let “life”, get in the way of getting what is desired. The difference is successful people expect all kinds of opportunity/ “life”, the good and the bad. Those who are successful are prepared to deal with those things when they do pop up. They have a plan!
Some sample opportunities:
Goal: “I want to lose X number of pounds.”
You are out with friends, drinks are flowing, and food is everywhere. What do you do? Do you start a conversation with yourself, “This is not what I wanted to eat, but it’s calling my name and this drink, it’s my favorite drink”. What do you do? Again, it is in this moment we are deciding how bad we want to achieve success. Do you want the pleasure that would come from achieving your goal (which we may not reap for months) or do you want satisfaction now?
Goal: “I “want to make it to the CrossFit Games.”
To achieve this goal, you need to stick to a strict plan (fitness training, tip top nutrition, sleep ect.). This may mean skipping the late-night hangout with friends, passing on the weekend shenanigans to train, saying “no” to anything other than a prepped meal.
Do you have the self-control/accountability system set up to commit to the process; not just one day, but all days leading up to the test? Are you able to say no to the circumstances that would bring you farther from your goal? Do you desire this goal so much so that even though you may not achieve any immediate/daily satisfaction you’ve committed to holding out for the satisfaction that will come from achieving this goal?
Is Your Self-Discipline Consistent?
Now the question is, are you able to demonstrate self –control on a regular enough basis (regular define by the degree required for the goal) in order achieve success. When opportunity presents itself, do your actions speak to your goals? With consistency towards a given goal, you build momentum. Momentum to continue making similar like decisions, more easily. Again, your choices either bringing you closer to your goals or farther away from them. Do you really want your goals and if so, are you willing to develop and sharpen the required consistency and apply the required discipline to achieve them?
To lose weight…
Regarding the “I want to lose X number of pounds” example above, say all week you ate well. You have been eating well now for a couple of months and you are 10 pounds away from your goal weight. Your ability to express self-discipline throughout the period leading up to tonight was so spot on that today you can use your self-discipline to allow yourself to indulge. There can be a healthy balance here, let’s say 80% of the time “on” and 20% of the time “off”. Can you be consistent with this amount of effort?
To go to the CrossFit Games
In the example of going to the CrossFit Games, we have a long-term goal. Self-discipline needs to be high. Does your level of desire to best the fittest in the world match your desire to commit to the goal? The room for error here is little to none. So, is there a balance here, not as much? The magnitude of this goal is such that 100% “on” is required. Are you able to make that kind of a commitment?
So again, ask yourself, how badly do you want it?
If we ask you things like:
- Are you willing to give up drinking, or junk food?
- Are you willing to leave work on time to get your training in?
What the question is meant to find out is are you willing to make the sacrifices that are necessary to achieve your goals?’ If that answer is no, then let’s not waste each other’s time, but what if you can answer yes to the sacrifices that need to be made to reach your goal? Where do you start?
How Can We Help YOU?
Ok, so do you have a goal you want to accomplish? Is there something you want so badly to cross off your list? The coaches at CrossFit Jungle Gym are here to help you come up with your goals and an action plan for achieving them. Don’t feel overwhelmed, your goals don’t need to be anything as lofty as making it to the CrossFit Games, or losing a certain amount of weight, or gaining muscle (unless in fact that is your goal, as those are all cool ones)! The important part is that your goal is something you want badly for yourself!
We are going to make this real easy and lead by example. Here at CrossFit Jungle Gym we have create a specific goal that involves all of you:
First, we establish our SMART goal: To meet with every member we have for a 30-minute goal setting session by the end of July 2018.
Next, how will we achieve it? Below there is a link to our schedule so that each of you can book your private appointment with a Coach for a time that is convenient for you.
Lastly, how do we know when we have achieved it? Simple: We will track the appointments to ensure everyone has completed a goal setting session (a check will be placed next to everyone’s name for each completed goal setting session).
But wait a minute…
what about the emotional part…what’s in it for us? Well that’s easy – we get to be a part of the journey; we get to be a part of the entire process and hopefully, seal up a solid high five once the goal is accomplished!
Finally, the follow-up: Accountability is a huge thing. When more people, other than just you, know that you’re gunning for something special, a funny thing will happen: they’ll rally in your corner and keep you going.
In addition to the check-ins when we see you in class, or out and about, (or via FB stalking), I promise you this: every three months, you’ll be hearing from us to come and sit down again to see how you’re getting along. We’ll evaluate how your plan is coming together, tweak anything that needs it, and keep you moving forward.
So…what does all this cost? Only our most valuable asset: time.
What are you waiting for!?
Vanessa Zimmerman
Owner- CrossFit Jungle Gym
