Process Goals

Goal setting is one of the most important parts in the beginning of every fitness journey. Without goals you have nothing to work towards, nothing to push you, nothing to measure success by. It is extremely hard to argue against the importance of setting goals. With that being said, any old goal just won’t do. Some common goals of one starting a new journey toward fit may be: lose 50 lbs, bench 225 lbs, shed 6” off the waist, or even run a 5K. While these are all great accomplishments to work toward, what happens when you reach them? Then what? Do you quit? Is your journey over? For some maybe, but for you, I hope not. Being “fit” by whatever your definition has no destination; there is no finish line, hence the word ‘journey’. Setting a product goal of losing 50 lbs leads one to believe that their journey is complete when they reach that goal. This, in my opinion, is a major culprit of the dreaded fitness yo-yo.

I like to look at things from a different perspective. I have had a lot of success over the years in setting process goals. Process goals are a great way to build positive momentum and instill daily habits that will turn into a lifestyle with no end in sight. So, what is a process goal? A process goal is simply a goal that focuses on the process of reaching the ultimate product. Example: My product goal is to lose 50 lbs. So, I will set numerous process goals to get me there. I will lift weights 3 days per week. I will walk or jog 3 days per week. I will eat at least 3 healthy meals each day. I will drink no less than 1 gallon of water each day. There is no limit to the amount of process goals you can set, but I recommend starting with just one or a few and then slowly adding more in as to not overwhelm yourself.

So why do I love process goals so much? A product goal can take a long time; it can be discouraging and really test your patience. But, if you pick 3 things (exercise, eat, drink) and complete them each day, the ultimate goal of losing the weight will actually take care of itself in time. The daily small victories will continuously build positive momentum; and instill healthy habits (processes) that will stay with you long after you’ve lost all the weight.

I have applied this to several of my goals over the years both inside and out of the gym or kitchen. If you’re wanting to give this a try, but having trouble developing a plan shoot me an email on the ‘CONNECT’ page and we’ll work together to tailor something to your needs. I’m confident that once you develop this new goal attacking skill you’ll be well on your way to goal achieving glory!