Goal setting is one of the most effective techniques you can use to improve in any area of life. But to be effective, goals need to be created in the correct way, and be regularly reviewed and adjusted.
There is an acronym that can be used when initially writing goals. We want our goals to be SMART goals.
SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound
Specific: Your goals must be specific, avoid generalities or vague goals, such as “get in shape,” or “lose weight.” More specific goals would be “Increase squat by 30 lbs.,” or “decrease 5k time by 1 minute,” or “lose 5 lbs. of body fat”
Measurable: You need a measure to know that you have reached your goal. In the examples of increasing strength or losing weight then the weight is your measure, in the case of running then distance and time become your measures.
Attainable and Adjustable: The goal must be within reach, and you must be able to adjust the goal as circumstances change.
Relevant: The goal must make sense for your lifestyle and environment. It should be meaningful and fit the lifestyle you currently have, or a lifestyle that you are working towards achieving.
Time-bound: You need an end date for achieving your goal.
Interaction of the SMART principles
When you’re setting goals, the SMART principles work together. For example, when making a fitness goal more specific, by saying you will decrease your 5k run time by 1 minute, you are setting the measure as distance and time. When making it time-bound by giving it a date, you need to make sure that date is attainable. Doing all of that continues to make the goal more specific. Additionally, goals may be relevant when you start them, but due to life changes become irrelevant, then it is important that you can adjust goals to be relevant.
Accountability and Rewards
Having some type of accountability and reward system in place can be a useful strategy to increase the effectiveness of goal setting.
Accountability: Sharing your goals with coaches, friends, on social media, or posting somewhere that you can see them daily improves your chances of reaching your goal. It will create a sense of accountability that you would not have if you didn’t share your goal. Sharing with others creates external accountability and posting it for yourself to see creates internal accountability. Individuals respond to internal vs. external accountability to different degrees, so you need to determine what is most effective for you. Maybe you post every goal on social media for the world to see, or maybe you never post anything publicly but have sticky notes on your computer, and on your mirror to remind yourself, however, it is usually a combination of the two.
Rewards: Find a way to reward yourself for achieving your goal. Rewards should be relative to how challenging the goal is. A new car for exercising three days a week is not relative to the challenge, but but maybe a new water bottle, or going to see a movie are relative to the challenge.
Types of Goals - Outcome, Performance, and Process
Outcome: Outcome goals focus on the result of an event. Winning a race or placing top 10 in your age group are examples of outcome goals. We have the least control over the outcome goals because too many outside factors can influence the outcome, such as weather, illness, or other racer’s performances.
Performance: Performance goals focus on how you perform something; the goal is to hit a performance standard. We have more control over performance goals since there are fewer outside factors.
Process: Process goals focus on improving the process, developing, and refining techniques or strategies. These goals tend to be based on behaviors and habits. This is where we have the most control and should put most of our focus on a goal-setting program.
Hierarchy and Order of Goal Setting
By achieving process goals, we have better performance, having better performance results in better outcomes. The goals all build on one another. When setting goals, work from the end backward. Start by determining the outcome or performance that you want to achieve, and then determine the processes required to get you there. Keeping your performance and outcome goals in mind while focusing on performing your process goals will give you the greatest chance of success.
Example using Obstacle Course Racing
You have a goal of placing top 20% in your age group, this is your outcome goal.
Look up previous results to see what time you need to place top 20%. Let’s say that it is one hour and 35 minutes for a Spartan Super (10k race). To be safe we are going to set your performance goal of running a 1:30.
Finally, we need to decide what processes need to be in place to run a 1:30. Maybe we decide that we need to train 4 days per week, and we need to eat right to support our training and racing, these become your process goals.
We want to put most of our focus on these process goals, this is where we have the most control.
Now we need to make our goals SMART goals.
Goal 1: Train 4 days per week, 1 long run day, 1 strength/conditioning day, 1 bodyweight/running focus, and 1 strength/race specific training day. Assigning session duration and progressions can make them even more specific.
Goal 2: Calculate maintenance calories and macros and follow that plan with 80% adherence.
Now you want to put most of your focus on training 4 days per week and hitting 80% adherence with your diet. If you achieve these goals regularly, you are more likely to improve performance and be able to run a 1:30 Spartan Super. If you achieve the 1:30 then you are more likely to be in the top 20% of your age group.
Reviewing and Adjusting goals
During training, you want to regularly review and adjust goals. Every two weeks to a month you should review and update your goals. You could be improving faster than expected and decide that you need to aim for the top 10% or 15% and want to run a 1:25 Spartan Super. Or you may get sick, or face an injury, and must adjust your goals in the other direction.
Conclusion
Set SMART Goals.
Work with the end goal in mind and determine the performances and processes needed to achieve your goals.
Focus on achieving the process goals, while monitoring the progression of your performance towards the performance goals.
Find a method of accountability for your goals, and assign some type of reward for achieving your goals.
Regularly review and adjust goals as needed.
ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS!!!