It’s that time of year again where we come out of our food comas set our sights on what we want to achieve.
There’s a weird paradoxical kinda energy to January. On one hand it’s just straight up grey and depressing, fact. But at the same time, there’s this sense of renewal and optimism with goal setting. You feel like you can shoot for the stars (and indeed you should).
But then the hard work inevitably starts, and a lot of people fail.
According to ChatGPT, these are the top 5 reasons people fail their New Year fitness goals:
- Unrealistic expectations
- Lack of consistency
- No specific plan
- Inadequate social support
- Failure to address mental barriers
A key theme that runs through this is wishing your way there not being systematic enough with your goals.
By that I mean, reverse engineering your dreams into the actionable steps that help you get there.
To help you do this, I’ve broken down what it takes to achieve your goals into 4 steps.
This is partly about better goal setting. But it’s mainly about helping you become the sort of person that achieves their goals.
- Prove you’re capable of changing
- Clear the decks and make room for change
- Be systematic af with SMART goals
- Put the systems in place to keep you on track
Step 1: Prove you’re capable of changing
The fun and sexy grand goal setting process must wait a min. First, you need to build evidence that choosing the hard over the easy choice, always leads to a better life.
This might seem backwards. But if you’re not capable of doing the smallest of things consistently… how can you expect to still be showing up at marathon training 14 weeks later.
As my mentor, Jay Alderton says, ‘Hard things, easy life. Easy things, hard life’.
Pick a few keystone habits and track them for a month. They don’t even have to be fitness related. Could be making your bed, prepping your meals, Going for a mindful walk, etc.
Normally, I would say go and track 5ish habits for the month, then come back to goal setting. But it would be silly of me to assume you won’t go ahead and set some goals anyway haha.
Step 2: Clear the decks and make room for change
One area ChatGPT missed out was the inevitable excuse of ‘not having enough time’. While it can be partly true, it all comes down to what you’re prioritising in life.
If you want to change that much, you would make time for it. Simple.
So instead of shoehorning training in as an afterthought, let’s start from scratch.
- Start by asking ‘what CAN’T move?’. Stuff like work and family time is non-negotiable. Getting fitter is important but it’s still no excuse to leave the ones you care about with the scraps left over.
- Then fill the gaps with where you’re free to workout and do the stuff to contribute to the goal (meal prep, eat, stretch, etc.).
- If it’s not on the schedule, it doesn’t happen. That’s the simple rule. This helps you say no to stuff when it’s hard, e.g. going for drinks.
You don’t have to be mega strict with this but it’s the intention of how you want to spend your time that counts.
Step 3: Be systematic af with SMART goals
The sexy fun bit of setting the actual goals now. It’s not upfront because first we had to be capable of change and have the time to change.
These goals need to be yours, and only yours. Accomplishing someone else’s goals will lead to emptiness. The advantage of setting the goals that mean something to you is that you call the shots. You’re in control.
Right, setting the goals. SMART goal setting is bread and butter stuff in the goal setting world but it always applies, no matter what. Here’s what it means:
Here’s an example of taking a typical running goal and making it SMART.
Non-SMART example
I want to run faster.
SMART example
I will run the Paris Marathon (7 April) in under 3h 30m. This is important to me because I failed to start my previous marathon.
From that goal, I can then break it down into phases, weeks and sessions. Then I can slip in all the supporting stuff round it.
Step 4: Put the systems in place to keep you on track
Right, you now have the capability and time to achieve goals, and the actual goal structure in place, now to do it…
But to keep this show on the road, we need systems.
By systems, you might be thinking of a room full of super computers but their purpose is not far off.
A system is a way to do more by doing less. You need systems in place to edge your way closer to them and not burn out.
I don’t know what systems you’ll need to achieve your goals. But the rule is if it keeps you moving towards your goal, more effortless, do it. If not, bin it.
Here is a slightly exhaustive list of all the systems that help propel my training along:
- Run and strength workout plan, hosted on Google Sheets
- Strength training tracker, using RepCount app (currently trialling my own 👀)
- Meal prep Monday, including weekly meal plan
- Weekly planning
- Daily time block planning
- Weekly social run with Putney Running Club
- Weekly speed run with Onetrack
- (sorta) Weekly parkrun
- (sorta) Weekly long run with Tracksmith
Bonus Step: Having a Coach
One massive system I left out was working with a coach. It can help you define even clearer the target you’re trying to hit. Plus, it gives you all the resource, encouragement and enjoyment you need.
If you’re looking to improve yourself from both the strength and the running side, I can help.
My Complete Athlete System is a proven to build both strength AND running ability.
How is that possible?
- The Flight Hub. A tailored app that houses your goals, plan, educational resources and check ins.
- I will be your biggest supporter – on top of the resources, I will be on hand to pick up the phone and make sure you’re happy.
- You get three coaches in one. Unlike others, you get certified strength, running and nutritional expertise in one place.
Book a call in today and we’ll map out your goals and EXACTLY how we’ll go about reaching them.
And if you feel like this isn’t for you, that’s cool. But you still have a FREE plan of action nonetheless.
Lawrence
