Setting the right goals may be one of the most important parts of achieving success in just about anything you do. Especially when it comes to your health and fitness. But so often people set an outcome goal and fail to achieve it. Luckily, there’s a simple explanation to why this usually is.
Most of the time people set goals based on what it is they want to achieve or get at the end. This is called the Outcome Goal. And while it’s great to have a solid outcome goal to reach for, it doesn’t give any clear guidance to actually getting to that point. Just saying you want it doesn’t make it happen. What’s many people tend to miss is called the Process Goal.
The Process Goal is setting the proper steps in-place to reach your final outcome goal. It’s the daily action you need to take to actually achieve what you set out to. These should consist of direct tasks towards your end/outcome goal.
For example, rather than saying I want to get a new or better car, implement the process goal. I want a new or better car, so I’m going to dedicate 5 hours per week (to start) to earning additional income so I can soon afford to buy a new and better car.
Common health and fitness Outcome Goals
- I want to lose 10 pounds
- I want a six pack
- I want to gain 5 pounds of muscle
Obviously theres hundreds, but you get the idea.
Now lets implement the Process Goal
- I want to lose 10 pounds. So I’m going to consult with a trainer today about what I should be doing for this, workout 3X/week.
- I want a six pack. So I’m going to start each workout with a major complex movement like a squat or deadlift, run 1 mile 5 days a week, and switch one serving of carbohydrates to a lean source of protein and vegetables once each day.
- I want to gain 5 pounds of muscle. So I’m going to lift 4 days per week with proper complex movements, eat one serving of protein with each meal, and get at least 7 hours of sleep each night to improve recovery.
You see how adding these Process Goals to your final Outcome Goal gives you a clear vision of what you will do to finally achieve what you set out to? Figure out what you want, then direct your process to goals to that exact thing. In no time, you’ll notice how real and achievable that goal really is. No matter how far fetched it may seam on day one.
