Goal Setting

Dior Danzig goes for a PR.

One of the beautiful things about CrossFit is there will always be something for you to work on. Think of all the different lifts you have learned with a barbell since you first started. All the different body weight movements. The running, the rowing, the Airdyne (even though you wish you had not), kbs, slam balls, wall balls……. The list goes on. Even when you feel like you have a solid grasp on something, there will always be ways for you to move more efficiently through the movement.  There will always be new skills for you to learn, or another aspect of a lift to focus on that will make you move better.

CrossFit is constructed of three different elements. Weightlifting, gymnastics, and monostructural (a fancy word for running, rowing, cycling, swimming, etc) movements.  Within these three elements, there are many different movements to learn and practice. With the abundance of different ways to improve your overall strength and conditioning in CrossFit, there will always without a doubt be things you feel like you’re good at and things you could care less if they ever appeared on the white board again. Usually the latter is because you feel unbearably weak with the movement, or it is a skill that seems like the brain and the body will never agree as to which is the best way to coordinate. With that said, it is a certain aspect of your continuing quest for improvement that I want to remind you about.

As of late, our goal board is looking very sad. Actually, this lonely board has never really received the attention it deserves.

Why should you write down a goal? A written goal represents a real commitment. Without this commitment, a goal is only a dream. Dreams are things that you only hope will happen, but are not willing to put any action towards. Setting a goal definitely has its price, but it is the effort it takes to achieve the goal that makes it so rewarding.

Why do you CrossFit? Are you hoping to lose weight? Are you hoping to someday be Johnny V strong (one of my goals)? Are you hoping to improve your conditioning? Do you play some sport and you CrossFit in hopes you will become a better athlete? Do you just simply want to look better naked (who doesn’t?)?  Whatever the reason, what are you doing to help make these desires come true? Sure, you come to class 3-4 days a week and get a good workout, but without any real concrete goals, you are likely experiencing your workouts on a meandering, day-to-day basis. I don’t mean to sound harsh. I understand that coming to class on a regular basis in and of itself is great achievement. I am just trying to inspire you, at least through your workouts, to live more consciously.

In order for anything to happen in life, an idea has to first start in your mind and then there has to be a plan to manifest it into reality.

How are your double unders coming along? Are you still using the same band you used when you first started for pullups? How’s your handstand walking? When is the last time you PRed in your least favorite lift? Every one of you has something that I know you wish you were better at. The greatest thing about having a coach is after you have set your goal, one of us will always be there to help you create a plan towards success.

Just as important as setting goals, is to make sure your goals are realistic. I would love to have a 500lb deadlift, but the likelihood of that happening in the next six months is very slim. Hoping to add an extra 40lbs to it in the six months, though, is a little more do-able. However, six months is a long time to stay focused. I’m more of an instant gratification kind of person and can easily lose the desire. This is where the goal just simply turns into a dream. To help keep me on track I set up a series of micro goals along the six-month course. This helps keep me engaged and provides a sense of purpose. Say you have a certain amount of weight you would like to lose within the next four months. Chose a number to shoot for each month and enjoy the satisfaction of achieving a monthly goal.

The goal board is there to help keep you accountable. It is easy to let a goal slip away when you have only yourself to answer to. At CrossFit West, we are one big community of people striving to improve our own health while encouraging and inspiring others to do the same. Let’s fill up the goal board and start giving purpose to our workouts.

A big Happy Birthday to Tan H,  the 20 rep squat king!

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