Set Goals to Achieve Success

Training without goals is like sailing without sails, you are going to end up going around in circles. If someone asks me what I consider the most important thing when it comes to training I will say it is setting goals. Setting goals helps to keep you motivated throughout a year, or several years.

That being said, it is important to be realistic about these goals. Don’t set yourself a goal of winning the world championships, or the Crossfit games when you are starting out. Start by setting small weekly goals that are achievable. These goals can be attaining a certain weight, or doing a number of reps, anything can be a goal. I try and have one goal for every training session. If not a max weight I will try and do a new record number or reps on a weight. This way you can always do one thing in the gym that is a new achievement or accomplishment. Do 1 lbs extra on a press, or one extra rep on a Squat, I don’t care, but try and do one thing every session that is better than the last. This way when you leave you will maintain that excitement and enthusiasm until the next session.

Without this type of mental motivation many athletes become despondent, leading to them giving up or taking a break from training. These are the short term, weekly goals.

When it comes to the long-term goals, by all means think big. I want to break this record; I want to qualify for the Crossfit Games; I want to compete at World Masters. Again be realistic about where you are in your training and set attainable goals for the coming year, or years. After one year of training and competing again (After a 10 year hiatus) I set my goal for the following year to compete at the World Masters Championships and Win a Medal. Something I subsequently achieved. Right now I am already planning for which competitions, and internationals I plan on competing in next year. I have a three-year plan that culminates at the World Masters Games in New Zealand in 2017 (Hopefully with a world Championships gold, and World Record)

Goals are the key to training, set them, stick with them, and achieve them. Once you have…… Set new ones.