Ask any personal trainer “what’s the secret to achieving success with your fitness journey?”…
And the likely response is something like this:
- Set a goal.
- Break it down into manageable steps.
- And then consistently take action until you get where you want to go.
It sounds simple enough.
BUT there’s one big problem with this formula (and hardly anyone ever talks about it).
What do you do when you’re just not sure what you want? How do you choose a goal then?
For some women, knowing what they want comes easy.
But for the rest of us, choosing just one goal from an infinite sea of possibilities (all of which seem promising) is a real-life challenge.
If I’m being honest, choosing the right goal (not just with fitness) is something that I’ve struggled with for most of my life.
- You see, I was that girl in college who transitioned between 6 (maybe 7 majors) before ever settling on just one.
- Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to do when I got older.
- And I’ve had so many different jobs over the years that it’s almost comical.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my struggle, it’s that goal-setting isn’t something that should be taken lightly.
Goals do matter. After all, choosing goals that allow us to grow into the person we want to become is the key to living a life we love.
As Tony Robbins once said, “setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible“.
So, to help you get crystal clear with what you want out of your fitness journey, I’m breaking down my 3 favorite strategies for how you can identify your *perfect* fitness goal when you have no clue what you want!
Fitness goals are a dime a dozen these days.
It seems like everyone wants to either lose fat, tone up or just ‘get healthy‘.
While those goals are great starting points, the problem is that they are a bit boring + rather uninspiring.
Here are 3 strategies that will help you set a goal you’re actually excited to achieve
Create a Vision Board:
Often we have a hard time setting a goal not because we don’t know what we want but because we have a hard time putting it into words.
A vision board is a simple exercise that engages more of your senses, allowing you to define your goals using more than just your words.
My advice to you is to craft a board that allows you to bring to life the feeling that you’re chasing after. Being able to visualize what you want (even if you can’t formally translate it into thoughts) is a powerful step in getting what you want out of life.
Now, there are no hard and fast rules for creating a vision board, however, I have had great success with the following process:
- Collect as many magazines as you can. I typically collect what I can all year long; I get most of my my magazines from my local library- they give away their older copies before recycling the rest. You can also ask for the old ones from your local beauty salon, doctor’s office or any place you frequent where there’s a waiting room. I’ve found that even circulars I get in the mail work great for this type of project.
- Tear out any pictures or words that you feel drawn to. When you’re ready, go through your entire stack of magazines, tearing out anything that appeals to you. Remember, this process is totally intuitive, so don’t overthink your choices.
- Place your images (and words) onto your board. I’ve found this process works best when I start by glueing the larger images down first and then working my way to the smaller pieces. Again, there are no rules, combine your images in any way that feels ‘right‘ to you.
- Reflect on what themes you find within your board. My favorite part of this process is taking a step back + taking in the bigger picture of what you have created. It’s interesting to see what themes are present on your board- often I’ll uncover themes I wasn’t even aware had meaning for me.
- Hang your board where you’ll see it often. Once your board is complete, hang it where you’ll see it every day. I put mine in my kitchen, near the coffee maker, so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up every morning. Take a few moments to soak in the beauty which you have created. What you will find is that the themes from your vision board will help shape your goals for the year to come.
Lean in to jealousy:
Okay, hear me out on this one…
I know we tend to view jealousy in a negative light.
And yes, constantly comparing our reality to someone else’s isn’t always healthy; the comparison game can drain us if we’re not careful.
But when we recognize jealousy for what it is- an indication that ‘hey, I want that for my life too!’- we can learn to put jealousy to good use.
Because here’s the thing:
Just because someone else already has what you want, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have it too.
So the next time you feel triggered, when you feel that envy starting to bubble, know that you don’t have to feel defeated. Recognize that emotion for what it truly is: an indication of a direction that you should pursue.
My encouragement here is that you use other people’s success as evidence of what’s possible + realize that that same reality is possible for YOU- you just have to work for it.
Focus on Happiness (Not Success):
Most of us get this whole goal-setting thing backwards.
We believe that if we focus on external success, then we’ll find happiness.
So we pursue goals that we feel have merit. We do things because we think ‘we should‘ rather than pursuing things we actually want to do.
But you can’t fix what’s going on inside of you by focusing on the outside. And when we do this, what often happens is that we’re left feeling unfulfilled by the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
If you’re chasing a goal that doesn’t inspire, it’s going to be a long miserable journey to get there (if you even get there at all).
So when you decide to set a goal- drop all the should‘s and could‘s, and instead focus on what you truly want out of life. Explore what lights a fire in you + experiment with ways to bring more of that into your life.
Remember:
If it’s not a HELL YES, it’s a no!
Trying to set a goal when you have no clue what you want- it’s more common than you think. My hope is that with the help of these strategies that I have shared with you today, you’ll be better equipped to set a goal that speaks to your heart.
Now it’s your turn because I want to hear from you! Are you a goal-setter? How do you choose goals that align with the woman you desire to be? Share your insights in the comments below so that we can learn from you!
As always, here to support YOU!
XO- Britney (@ms.fit.farmer)
READ MORE:
- The Insanely Easy Way to Set a Fitness Goal You’ll Actually Follow Through With!
- The BEST All-In-One Fitness App to Help You Lose Weight!
- 5 Ways a Macro-Based Diet Can Help You Achieve Lasting Weight Loss
