Goals: Direction

Direction is one of the most difficult things to find in life, just ask any 23 year old college graduate.  For the last 16 years someone else has been setting their goals.  It starts with colors, shapes, and letters and ends with some pretty complex arrangements of colors, shapes, and letters.  But now you're a graduate.  No more teachers and institutions directing your path.  So what will you do now?  It's up to you.  For a few motivated grads, this means that the world is their oyster, full of opportunity.  For many, it's a paralyzing task to try to determine the direction for the next 50 years of life.

I find the gym to be a pretty decent analog to life.  One of the most difficult things for many trainees is deciding on a direction to take their training.  Sure, there are a few who seem to effortlessly glide into an intelligent program and solid goals, but for the most part that is not the case.  In my case, I trained for nearly 10 years before really understanding what I was doing and why I was doing it.

At its worst a lack of direction can lead to rampant program hopping, over-education, and a discouraging lack of progress.  At best it leads to mediocre training that is too diluted to bring any real results.  Couple this with poor habits outside of the gym and you have a recipe for landing back on the couch in 2 months or less.  While we all secretly wish we could just lay on the couch instead of going to the gym from time to time, we all know that it will not end well.

Your direction in the gym should be determined by your long term goals.  If the direction of your training is not relevant to what you are trying to accomplish, it just doesn't make any sense.  You might need to hire a coach to help you think through and plan the action steps to move you towards that goal.  Setting the direction of your training is a lot like investing, most people don't do that without good advice from a qualified professional.  While what happens with your money is pretty important, I'd argue that keeping your body healthy and ready for any necessary task is probably a little more important.  So don't skip working with a qualified coach to keep an eye on your overall program and to help keep your training moving in the right direction.

Once you've set your course, it's time to put your head down and grind it out.  Stop reading all the fitness magazines offering you 3 weeks to huge guns and a tight butt.  Stay the course and continuously move in the direction you have chosen.  Don't be in a hurry to see results.  Instead, focus on the process of getting a little bit better every single day.  Direction is a long term process.  It will guide the next 20 years of your training.  That means there might be small tweaks and course corrections, but huge shifts should be fairly rare.

In summary, setting the direction of your training is hugely important.  Start with your goals, talk with a coach, put your hand to the plow, and get to work.  Don't constantly watch the scale or become preoccupied with numbers on the bar.  Do be preoccupied with doing the next right thing, every single day, for the rest of your life.  If you miss here and there, it's not going to be a problem because the overall direction of your training is going to keep you moving.  It's when you lose your direction that you find yourself back on the couch. 

Focus on the Process

We live in a results oriented society.  Everything you buy, you buy because of what you expect the results of that purchase to be.  You bought the minivan because it would result in more space and easier transportation for a growing family.  You bought the big screen tv because it would result in more entertainment or a better view of the big game.  You bought the gym membership because it would result in a trimmer waist and bigger guns.  This is a pretty reasonable way to think about things.  You only have so many resources to invest, so investing them in things that will result in outcomes you want is pretty smart.

The problem is, when applied to training, it can be a little frustrating at times.  You've probably been frustrated with the results you expected from your training in the past.  Some dvd set or personal trainer promised you 6" off of your waist in 21 days and in spite of your zeal and good intentions, it didn't deliver.  You tried a crazy fad diet for 30 days, but it didn't deliver the advertised results.  You bought the next neon green supplement that said it would get you completely jacked and tan, just like the guy in the ad, and it didn't deliver.  Chasing results can be expensive and frustrating.  I think there is a better way than trying to buy results or expecting a quick fix.  Instead of focusing on the results, I think you should focus on the process.

What does it mean to focus on the process?  First you have to realize that it took you your whole life to get where you are today.  Get up, and go look an a mirror.  The result of the x number of years you have lived and the decisions you have made and the habits you have formed is looking back at you.  You didn't become you overnight, for better or for worse.  Second, you have to realize that any kind of significant change you want to make is going to take time.  Unless you're starting out fairly lean and muscular, you're probably not going to see your abs in 6 weeks, especially if you haven't seen them in 6 years.  You probably won't be the fastest or the strongest, which leads us to the next point.  Third, leave ego and pride behind.  Everyone starts, or restarts, somewhere.  Join a gym where people will help you think through your goals and create strategies to meet them.  When you get there, you might not stand out. You will need to change your habits, a little at a time, to be the habits of someone who can do what you want to be able to do.  So that's all well and good, but how do you do it?

When you set your focus on the process, you set goals, and then you do the simple things every single day.  You drive to the gym.  You eat enough of the right things to support your goals.  You go to bed on time.  You take your fish oil. Every day you do the next right thing that will move you towards your goals.  It's profoundly simple to get leaner, stronger, and fitter.  So simple that instead of just putting your head down and pushing through it, you want to look for the next best thing that promises results.  All the advertising is flashy and exciting, but the products rarely deliver, so try this instead.  I'll give you a 100% guarantee that if you focus on the process and do the next right thing that supports your goals every day, you will crush your goals.

If you want some help nailing down your goals, or creating some action steps to carry you towards them so you can focus on the process, I'll be happy to help.  Comment below or send an email to disruptivefitness at gmail.com for some assistance.