We all have our ups and downs, and times when other things in life can get in the way of our best intentions to stay fit, strong and healthy.
Times like these can often cause our training to take a back seat for a day, a week, or even the next 3 months coinciding with the dates surrounding winter.
For most people, staying focused on what it was they originally wanted will often become a blur, or forgotten completely. We find that what we originally thought we wanted may not always sound as enticing as it first did when it motivated and excited us.
Remaining committed to an idea, a desire, or a training program does require some hard work and discipline, but it also requires motivation. It is often that motivation that will be the difference between giving up that comfy place in bed during those early mornings when you would otherwise be happily driving to the gym. It is motivation that can be the difference between that warm soup dinner waiting for you in your warm and cozy home, instead of punching out sets of maxes, or grinding away at the gym. It’s surprising how much preferences can change during this time, especially when the conditions are harsh, and the temptation for short-term comfort outweighs our long-term goals. Unfortunately, this can put you on the fast track to losing your gains in replacement of both body fat and muscle loss. So then, how do we combat these potential “termites” of progress you ask? Goal setting.
Goal setting, or goal re-evaluation is designed to put you back on track, and give you that added drive that can quite literally be the difference between progression or regression. Goal setting is the best way to not only increase your motivation, but to re-establish where you're at with your current training, and give you direction for the future. That may be the next training block, or it may be more long term.
Spending the time coming to terms with your goals will help you to understand what it is you actually want, and to develop strategies to prioritise what you need to do to actually get there.
Think about driving to a destination for instance. Where your destination is your goal, and your route is your plan. The easiest most efficient way to get somewhere is to firstly know where you want to go, and then secondly, plan on how to get there. The more detailed an in-depth your goals are, the stronger your drive will be to reach them.
So take some time to sit down and think about where it is you’re headed. Think about why you want what you want. Think about why you started. And think about what drives you to keep going, even through the thick and the thin of it all. Make a strong emotional connection to what you want, and know why you want it. This is a very important aspect to accomplishing any goal, and is something that is often missed by many. Turning a want into a need will almost guarantee the success of it. Just being ho-hum about something will never really push you through those difficult times.
Remember, at the end of the day it’s the hardest battles that hold the most satisfying victories.
If in the end you’re still not sure that you’re even on the right track, speak to a coach. We can help you break it down, and make sure that you’re not just wasting your time heading in circles, or doing something that won’t benefit you. Then do yourself a favour, and go and speak to others at Squat Club. The environment has been cultivated to be one of encouragement and support. Sometimes just getting different peoples perspectives on things, and finding out what drives them can motivate and inspire more in you.
Hold fast through winter and develop your plan. Because strength at your weakest, makes you much stronger at your strongest!