So you’ve started your fitness journey and you found your gym. What’s next? You’ll want to start picking goals to work on! When thinking about what goals you want to go for there are some things to consider:

• making the goal specific for YOU

• being able to measure your goal

• giving yourself the chance at an Achievable goal

• whatever goals you are going for are relevant

• giving yourself a time frame to achieve your goal

Those of you who are wondering if you have seen these things before, its because it follows the S.M.A.R.T acronym for achieving goals. They need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-specific. hopefully this post will get you in the right mindset to guide you in the right direction!

• Specific

So check it out. Getting “fit” is not a specific goal. Although I get that a lot in my consultations, I have to then ask, “ well, what does that mean?” Getting “fit” is different for everyone. When it comes to your personal goals there is no one size fits all. There are so many genres of fitness out there. Just like your pick of anime. My personal a preference for anime is a long the lines of the One Piece, Berserk, Attack on Titan, Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen and 100 percent Subbed. I will die on the at hill!

You might like something totally different, but whether it’s Action, Slice of life, you have to figure out what you’re going to get into. The plus with this is that it will be just for you, if you want to continue to work on the same thing and make it through 1000 plus episodes, I can promise you, it will be worth it. Lets focus on the one season Shows first to see if its for you. if you don’t like it after, you can change the channel. The important part is making it all the way through your program which can tell you how much closer to your goal you are. you have to be able to track what you’re after.

• Measurable

  You have to be able to figure out how you are going to level up in order to reach your goal. It is an open world out there, so trying to figure out what class you are going to go into and what skill tree you are going to follow is important to know so you can see what’s working and what’s not. The beautiful thing about it is, if you want to be well rounded, you can, but take your time and stick to one program until you move on to the next. Being able to measure your progress allows you to change small variables and can further point you in the right direction. There are many different ways to do this. Here are some of the ways can measure yourself:

  Weight( if you’re trying to lose or gain weight )

  Strength( if you are trying to get stronger in a particular lift or movement)

  Measurement( If there is a specific part of your body that you are trying to grow)

  ****** I can promise you, you cannot spot reduce fat! That is a different conversation on it’s own!

  Tracking these variables allows you to plan for progression. Remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Speaking of failing, let’s talk about the next piece, setting yourself up so you can reach your goals.

• Achievable(Attainable)

  I can almost guarantee you that you are not frieza and can start working out for two seconds and then reach supersayain god level because you never have worked out before ( without external factors that I highly advise against). Your final form is going to take some time and it will take some small wins before you can get to the big ones. So when thinking about your goals, there is nothing wrong with setting something long term and big. You should have big goals.

  Setting achievable goals is a crucial aspect of the S.M.A.R.T goal-setting framework, as it ensures that objectives are realistic and within reach. Think of these goals as milestones in a journey, akin to gaining experience points in a video game. For instance, imagine a novice gamer aspiring to become a grand master. Instead of aiming to achieve the grand master status directly, they might set achievable goals like mastering specific game mechanics, completing certain levels, or gaining proficiency with different characters. These smaller, attainable objectives function like experience points, gradually building the skills and knowledge necessary for the ultimate grand master achievement. By breaking down the larger goal into manageable tasks, individuals can maintain motivation and track their progress, much like a gamer leveling up step by step on the path to mastery.

• Relevant

  
  Applying the "relevant" principle of S.M.A.R.T goal-setting to bench press training is akin to scaling a strength-based weapon in a game, drawing inspiration from the challenging world of Dark Souls. Imagine a player in the game setting a goal to level up a specific strength-based weapon to defeat a formidable boss. Instead of haphazardly allocating points to various attributes, the player focuses on reinforcing the relevant strength attributes that directly impact the weapon's effectiveness. Each upgrade and point invested aligns precisely with the overarching goal of maximizing the damage output of the chosen weapon. Similarly, in bench press training, the fitness enthusiast concentrates on exercises that specifically target the pectoral muscles, mirroring the strategy of scaling up a weapon in the game. This relevance ensures that every repetition contributes meaningfully to the enhancement of overall chest strength, just as each attribute point contributes to the scaling of a formidable weapon in the challenging landscapes of Dark Souls

• Timely

  In our fast-paced lives, the notion of a timeskip or a hyperbolic time chamber often sparks a wishful yearning for the ability to accelerate personal growth or accomplish goals in the blink of an eye. Alas, reality operates differently, and this is where the "time-specific" element of S.M.A.R.T goal-setting becomes paramount. Time specificity involves setting clear deadlines and milestones for our objectives, recognizing that progress is not instantaneous but a gradual, time-dependent process. Much like a character in an anime navigating through the constraints of time, setting time-specific goals requires a disciplined approach. For example, envision someone aspiring to complete a novel. Instead of a vague goal like "write a book," a time-specific goal could be to draft a set number of pages or chapters each week, with a target completion date in mind. This approach not only instills a sense of urgency but also provides a tangible framework for tracking progress, transforming the once-distant aspiration into a manageable, time-bound reality.

  All in all, you'll want to follow these principles make your journey something you can consistently build off of, and something you can see. That way you can decide on what is working and what needs to be changed as well as keeping data so that when you do reach your goal, you know exactly how you got there! If you need help setting goals, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Help me out those of you who have goals and comment below which goals you are working on, whether it the day to day, or the long term ones! All goals are welcome!