A Less SMART Approach to Goal Making
Often we make goals when we are feeling the most ambitious and motivated. These often end up being too strict or unrealistic in timeline, scope, and our current abilities. We need to take into account that life rarely goes smoothly and make sure that there is enough room for bad days and life changes to still be successful. Focusing on goals that have personal, intrinsic value and are more process over result based helps working toward your goals fun and achievable.
Process Vs Outcome Based Goals
Outcome based goals, like SMART goals, can be useful in goal setting, but can also lead to a negative feeling feedback loop when outcomes are not met. Process based goals focus on building and maintaining habits as the goal, which alleviates the pressure of a specific outcome being achieved. It’s a method of goal setting that takes into account the differences between genetics, environmental circumstances, and fact that people are imperfect and have bad days. Process based goals more often lead to long term success because they help people learn to enjoy the practice and decouple the feeling of accomplishment from an ultimate outcome.
The Myth Of 1% Better Everyday
Humans don’t improve exponentially; our skills and talents take time to develop. When it comes to fitness, there is often a hard (physical) or soft (priority shift) limit to our growth because we can no longer put in the time and effort improvement requires. The phrase “1% better everyday” isn’t about literally improving 1% every single day, it’s about putting in the concentrated and meaningful work to get better. It encourages people to build habits and routines that will lead them to long term success.
Why Is Lifting Weights Objectively More Fun?
Resistance training is the most fun and empowering way to train because strength gains are more immediate, noticeable, and can be easily tracked. Progress and results that are more nebulous and subjective do not give the same sense of accomplishment, which is why making fitness goals around something that constantly fluctuates like bodyweight is generally unsatisfying. Strength training and other skill based exercises can help people live the lives they want to, and it’s important to find what works best for your life and body.
The Difference Between Who You Are And Who You Want To Be
There are two things you need to accept if you want to improve - that you’re fine the way that you are, but that at the same time, you can always be a little bit better every day.