When beginning any workout or diet program, it is important to determine a specific desired outcome.  A phrase commonly used when discussing creating goals is:  “The key to success in reaching goals is to develop SMART goals”, or some variation of the phrase.  If you don’t know, the term SMART is an acronym for the following:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

The SMART goal setting process is put in place to help determine a specific goal in order to create a successful plan; but this is only one part of the equation. The second, and arguably more important part is determining the reason behind the goal; the why.  Let’s take a closer to and break down the two parts.

The What = the goal itself

Although the specifics of each person’s fitness goal may vary, each can be categorized in one (or more) of the following; health, performance or aesthetic.  Before determining the plan and process of reaching the goal, it is important to know which category the goal fits into.

Health – Improving health or fitness through exercise tends to surface as a primary goal for older adults, particularly those who have settled into a full time career and begin to start a family.  The aging process results in a natural functional decline, and if left unmonitored, could cause health related issues.  Research has demonstrated regular daily exercise and physical activity can help slow down, or even reverse this process.

Tip: You’d find yourself in this category if your goals included something like:  lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and stress levels or increasing daily energy and improve mental state.

Performance – Improving physical performance is a category of goals most common amongst younger, more competitively minded individuals or athletes.   The majority of this population is looking for a specified numerical goal, such as; breaking the 300lb bench press mark, to squat or deadlift “X” amount of pounds, run a 40 yard dash in “X.X”  seconds, have a vertical jump high enough to dunk on the basketball court or run a marathon in record time.

Aesthetics – Improving aesthetics is all about the look; whether it’s losing a certain amount of pounds for beach season, taking inches off the waistline to fit into a new dress/suit, or building up lagging muscle groups, aesthetic goals are goals of wanting to improve the way your body looks to yourself or others.

Although the “what” goal is a very important part of the game of programming or structuring your workout and nutrition plans, it could be argued that it isn’t the most important part.

The Why = the reason behind the  goal

The real motivation and inspiration is the “why” goal.  Why do you want to get healthy, improve your performance or change your body?  While it appears to be a simple question, it’s often the hardest one to actually answer and can take some serious time reflecting on what is important in your life.  For example:

Health goals: usually  wanting to get healthier in order to be able to play with their kids as they grow up, take better care of the family and watch them succeed as adults.

Performance goals: hitting 20 reps of 225 can help the chances of getting drafted to the NFL.  A specific number goal typically ties to another career or personal goal in life.

Aesthetic goals: weight loss or muscle gain related goals can stem from low self-confidence or self-worth.  These individuals are typically looking for approval of others to validate feeling better about themselves.

Two people with the same goal of losing 10 pounds, or hitting a personal record for squatting may have vastly different reasons behind why that particular goal is important to them; and while it is important to determine the reason behind to goal, it’s also important to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong.  This is the motivating factor that gets you out of bed and to the gym each day, it’s what keep you making healthy choices throughout the day and avoiding the temptations that are all around us.

What is your motivating factor that drives you to reach your goals?  Take 2-3 minutes each day to reflect on your goals and the reasons behind them.

• How would you feel when you reach your goals?
• How would you feel if you were unable to accomplish your goal?
• How would your life be different if you did or didn’t not reach these goals?

Once you determine the why, you’re that much closer and your goals will become clearer and more attainable.