Goals and Reasons
Kaytlin Riendeau, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
When it comes to performance and training you should have a reason for what you are doing. For me a reason for training is more than just a short-term goal. For example, “I want to lose 5 lbs.,” is an attainable goal but it may only make you work harder for the time it takes to lose the weight. What about thinking long term? Change this reason to “I want to maintain a healthy weight.” The difference in these two statements is the longevity of the goal. Better performance and being healthy should be a lifestyle. I am not trying to say that short-term goals are bad, because they are not. But your short-term goals should be connected to a reason.
One of my reasons for better performance is to live with a higher quality of life and reduce my risk for disease. Because of my family history I know that I have a higher risk of disease such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I maintain a healthier lifestyle by giving myself a reason to do so. I want to live longer and happier by improving my quality of life.
Don’t mistake activity for achievement:
Adrian Guyer, CSCS, USAW-II, CSAC
Do you have a plan for your path to success? Do you have specific goals that are measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely? We refer to these as S.M.A.R.T. goals. How about a program that will get you where you want to go? As the saying goes; a failure to plan is a plan to fail. So often I see people fail at achieving what they truly want to achieve because they lack the right amount of intensity in their training. We must understand that the body responds and adapts to stress and therefore we must continually find ways to apply it in safe and effective environments. “Repeated low doses of venom,” something that doesn’t necessarily kill you but that you will adapt to and see positive adaptations to. In the beginning stages of a training program you are apt to see positive changes regardless of what you are doing simply because you are doing something more or something different than you were before. At some point this will no longer work. You might see initial changes to your strength or your body composition but that will eventually stop, and you will be left wondering what to do.
Now I know this may come off as a bit harsh but I am going to say it anyway; you cannot mistake activity for achievement. If you think that just showing up and “moving” is going to get you to where you really want to go then you are wrong. You must set goals and then develop a plan to achieve them. Then you must apply the necessary amount of stress to get you to where you want to be.When the plan works and you reach the goals this is achievement. For some the goal might be to quite simply start moving. Congratulations. However, once you have achieved this goal it’s time to set another, create another plan for success and keep the ball rolling.
I feel as though complacency, in many ways, is what’s wrong with our society these days. Far too often we are alright with just showing up and with just going through the motions, and sadly I am seeing it with our youth as well. There are not blue ribbons for everybody!
You are not great until you do something great. Nothing great happens without an equally great amount of effort to achieve it.
So, when it comes to fitness and performance, you cannot mistake activity for achievement. This may get you part of the way but it will not get you the results you are really, truly looking for. Take chances and know that you will make mistakes and fail along the way. If you aren't taking chances and making yourself uncomfortable you most likely won't get the results you want. Take it from master coach John Wooden.
Find a good coach who is vetted, who you trust, who will hold you accountable and will help you set realistic goals. Then you must go at it with everything you got! Because with the right amount of intensity and a focused, driven approach you will achieve far more than you ever thought imaginable…