The Why Behind Your Goals

Over the last few weeks, I have had an unusually high amount of assessments. Clients new and old sit down with me for an hour as I bring them through our process and get them on the right track to achieve their goals. Each assessment goes differently, but starts with a bombshell of a question:

 

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

 

Now depending on how you just read that, I may come off as a jerk, and I promise you that isn’t the case. I am genuinely interested in knowing why they want to work out in the first place and every answer to that question is different, even if everyone says the same thing. A 50 year old female, who was a former volleyball player might want to lose a few extra pounds the same way a 35 year old father of two might. The difference becomes the WHY behind the weight loss. That former volleyball player might have the image in her head that losing weight will allow her for play volleyball pain free again, while the few extra lost pounds might give the father enough energy to play with his kids.

These are the true reasons why someone comes through the door at our gym. It is never just about the physical changes, there are always layers to the answer of why are they here. As a coach, the hardest person to program and train are the ones that don’t have a definitive goal, or worse, someone whose goals are constantly in flux. I find that the more “Whys” I ask during an assessment, the more targeted our training can become, and the better results the client gets.

 

SO HERE IS MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

            I want you to pick a goal that you want to achieve. Make it exercise related, and make it something you want to do, not something you feel like you have to do. Then, I want you to ask yourself 3 Why’s about your goal. For example. . .

 

Tony’s Personal Goal: I want to drop down to 180lbs

Why 1: Why do you want to drop down to 180lbs?

Answer 1: That is close to the weight I want to compete at in Jiu-Jitsu.

Why 2: Why do you want to compete at that weight in Jiu Jitsu?

Answer 2: I feel that last time I competed, I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t eating well. I feel that taking this step with my training will help me be better prepared.

Why 3: Why do you want to be better prepared at Jiu Jitsu?

Answer 3: I love being competitive and want to be in the best possible condition to compete.

 

So in my personal case of losing body weight, it isn’t a weight issue I am dealing with. It is a competition issue and now that I know that is my end why behind why I want to lose weight, I can drive my programming to help reflect my need to compete in Jiu Jitsu! So let your coach know this week the reason why you are training, the real reason why, and push all your energy towards achieving it. You will be surprised how much you can accomplish when you finally realize what you have been training for.