Goal setting myths from an accredited life coach

It's that time of the year when everyone and their dog are setting new years resolutions, goals, and plans for the rest of the year. Some people have jumped straight into it come 1st January. Others have taken a slower start to the year and are working up to it. But, wherever you're at, according to Strava, by the second Friday in January - just about now, you could be one of the thousands of people that will have given up on their new year's resolutions.

And you know we’re here to support you through the highs and the lows, too. So we had a chat with Lindsey, an accredited life coach, about goal setting, and why things go wrong for so many of us so soon! Here are three goal setting myths you should know about: 

Myth 1: Creating a SMART goal is enough.

Lindsey points out that a SMART goal is just not enough.

“Ensuring your goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound will help immensely. But you need more than that for you to succeed. So before you even get to that point, exploring what success looks like for you regarding this goal is essential. How will you feel when you've achieved it? What will be happening to you? How will achieving this goal impact your life? How will not achieving this goal have an impact on your life? Also - does the goal need to be more than just achievable? The answer is YES! If it's already within your reach, you're not going to be excited by it or feel any real pull to try to make it happen.”

How does this apply to your fitness goals? Fitness is a journey - and a marathon, not a sprint, so we encourage you to focus on having your main goal - understanding WHY that’s actually important to you and THEN, making sure you’re setting some action steps too.  

So, if the goal was to lose 5KG. Really take some time to understand why you’ve picked that number, why it’s important for you to lose that weight, what you will feel like when you’ve achieved it, how you’ll feel if you don’t hit the goal etc etc. Then break down all the things that you would need to do in order to make that happen. They would include being in a calorie deficit, moving your body more, drinking enough water, hitting your protein intake etc etc. There’s a lot that goes into losing weight, and a lot of  factors are outside of your control, and we all feel like sh*t when we don’t achieve those. Focusing on the things we can control, like moving every day, on the other hand, is entirely up to us - and there’s no real way to fail at it, except not doing it! And while you’re at it - why don’t you join our Just Move 10 days consistency challenge?!

Myth 2: Once you've set the goal, you can't change it.

“You're not writing these goals in stone; even if you were, that wouldn't matter. YOUR GOALS CAN CHANGE. Because you change all the time - probably without realising it. As you encounter new people, have new experiences, and your values evolve, your goals will likely change too. So don't feel bad or guilty if the goal you set for yourself six months ago isn't happening and doesn't light you up anymore. By all means, change it, but make sure you delve deeper into why you're making the change. If it's just because 'it's too hard and I feel overwhelmed' - try to break your goal down into bitesize actions for you to take, and don't overthink the end goal.“

So many women have walked into StrongHer wanting to lose weight or ‘get toned’. A few months in all they can think about is PR-ing that deadlift or bench. Your fitness goals will change throughout your journey - and that’s the beauty of it! If you’ve been stuck on wanting to hit a certain number on the scales for the longest time, but it’s just not happening for whatever reason - ask yourself  - is that goal really important to me still? Or do I want to change it? There’s no shame in changing your fitness goals to suit your situation - and please don’t get stuck with the sunk cost fallacy - that just because you have committed so long to achieving this thing, that you have to continue - that is just not the case! 

Myth 3: All you need to do is write down your goal.

“Writing down your goal doesn't mean it's going to happen. That's not how goal setting (or manifesting, for that matter) works. However, writing your goal down does mean you're 42% more likely to achieve it. It also gives you a chance to get clear on what you want to achieve and why (see point one), but it's more than that. Once you've got the goal down on paper, it's time to work backwards, plan, and then get someone to hold you accountable! Then, get ready to take intentional action every day to get you where you want to be.“