Set Process Goals, Not Progress Goals
Let’s talk about setting “process ” goals instead of “progress” goals. If, like many people, you’re setting new goals for the New Year, take a moment to consider not only what you wish to achieve, but also what behaviors and actions will lead you to your desired outcome.
Focusing on these actions and behaviors should be the true focus of your goal setting. Let’s use weight loss as a common example. If your desired outcome is to lose 30 pounds, what will you need to do to lose 30 pounds? Track your calories everyday? Lift weights 3x per week? Walk 20 minutes every day? Hit your 10k daily steps? These are your goals!
I think many people will recognize these “process” goals as the daily choices we all face when reaching for a new target. That’s exactly the point. Instead of having a distant goal to eventually someday lose 30 pounds, you now have an immediate goal for today. Today I’m going hit my 10k steps by adding a 20 minute walk before dinner. I’m also going to track my calories for all my food. You can complete these two goals everyday! When we fail to complete our daily goal, we have a new chance the next day. It’s easier to focus on hitting your goals if you just need to do one or two things today.
One added benefit to Process goals: there is no arbitrary, irrelevant timeline. It can be overwhelming to set a weight loss, muscle gain or strength goal on a specific deadline. You’ve most likely heard of “S.M.A.R.T.” goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The last characteristic, “Time-bound”, is one of the most misused elements when setting any goal, but especially fitness goals. Every body will respond differently and progress will not be linear. Early progress is fast and then slows down. It can be nearly impossible to set a deadline for a specifically measurable weight loss or strength goal. Those goals are not SMART, because they aren’t achievable on a specific timeline. The actions you can take to achieve those results, however, not only can be done every day, but are actually essential to the long term desire you’re aiming for.
For your big desires, set your “Process” goals and do your best to hit them. Walk every day, run twice a week, lift weights three days a week, drink 40 ounces of water daily … whatever you need to do to get there. Remember, too, that you can start with one or two; you don’t need to overhaul your entire lifestyle on January 2nd. Pick the one or two habits you think can realistically do, then do them.
#HardWork #SmartChoices