It is, without a shadow of a doubt, within our power to achieve what we set our minds to. Physical wellness is not the entire picture. The key to how to crush your goals in fitness is mental wellness. It is there where the real motivation, trigger, plan to action, and ultimately results come from.
We are not trying to say put more weight on one or the other, what we are saying is that there is a fine balance between the two. In fact, the two depend on each other and have a symbiotic correlation.
Men certainly want to look and feel good. Our bodies are after all machines and are the medium by which we experience our environment. So why not make it as lean, strong, and effective as possible? Fitness should be a big focus for men, especially in modern times when we are often distracted and live sedentary lives. Men can easily get lose track of their fitness and we wonder why we can perform our day-to-day lives as well as possible. Or why do we simply feel like crap almost during the entirety of the day? It is just not a pleasant way to go through the day and life.
In the next few sections, we will discuss and provide not only motivation but steps on how to crush your goals.
Ready to crush your goals? Here we go…
Set Clear Goals
Why would you shoot for the stars and end up lost in space when you can shoot for one and actually land on it? A critical part of achieving success and crushing your goals is having a clear destination. And what this means is really understanding what you really want or envision for yourself. What would make you feel fantastic about yourself and what is your body telling you?
One of the most mind-blowing and life-changing concepts we learned over the years is how unclear and wishy-washy we are about what we want to achieve in life. And that is also the case for our physical wellness. Think about it. Men simply want to hit the gym, the track, the field, etc but we often do not set milestones and a clear destination. We are simply going with the momentum of the activity and quite often hit that wall or plateau.
When NASA was first working on going into space, they sure didn’t just say “hmmm let’s just go into the vastness of space and see what happens”. Nope. They had a clear destination or goal: The moon. They marked exactly that X where NASA wanted humanity to take its first step on, the moon. And because of it, NASA knew exactly what was needed to achieve that goal. How much fuel was needed, what trajectory needed to be taken, and the exact forces the astronauts were going to face. All important factors that made sure of a successful mission.
We know this is of course off topic but we’re sure you get our drift.
Analyze Your Habits And Finding Infinite Motivation
This is where the real hard work begins. Because let’s be honest, we tend to avoid being honest with ourselves. It is relatively easy to set goals. In fact, anybody can do that. What takes strength is not only keeping yourself honest about your habits, challenges, lifestyle, etc but making the proper adjustments. And equally important is finding that source of ever-flowing motivation.
Let’s dive a little deeper. Are you ready?
Men are creatures of habit. In fact, so many that the vast majority of them are second nature and go absolutely undetected. We are all significantly impacted by these unconscious daily choices. If you remember our “The Power of Habits: Are They Making or Breaking You?” article, we emphasize the importance of the small things. Small and seemingly insignificant choices that over time cement your identity, character, and mindset. This is for the most part exactly what is preventing you from achieving your fitness goals. That is if, of course, you have set them by this point.
When we mentor men, we strongly advocate for a strategy that we, ourselves, have implemented in our lives: Keeping a log at hand. We learned this super useful and effective strategy from “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. This diary, which can be your smartphone, will contain a log of behaviors, actions, or choices that both are positive and negative for your fitness goal.
Doing this will bring awareness to your current habits and therefore give you a better analysis of what you need to adjust. This log can contain anything: The amount of water you drink per day, snacks you eat throughout the day, sleep cycles, time on a chair vs standing, walks, etc. We usually recommend doing this every day for 30 consecutive days minimum. The more days the better analysis and awareness you will have.
Finding Overflowing Motivation
This is also another critical part. We are driven by both behavior and belief. Finding an overflowing source of motivation is important in keeping you on track and consistent. The point of focusing on your physical wellness is not to simply look good. You can be as fit, buffed, lean, etc, as you want but if you don’t have mental wellness you are still unwell. We find that being in good shape supports lifestyles: Camping, trekking, hiking, swimming, v-ball, soccer, etc. All hobbies and activities act as meditation and stress relievers. Without looking out for our bodies, we won’t have that which is so important and invaluable to us: Peace and a sense of connection with nature. That is, personally, my overflowing source of motivation. It is up to you to take your time and find yours as well. It will keep you pushing harder and harder.
Start Simple: Setting Yourself Up For Success
We strongly recommend starting simple when it comes to goals. Especially at the very beginning when you are in the process of adjusting and ultimately eliminating bad old habits and implementing new constructive habits. The key is to set milestones that you can easily achieve to gain both momentum and confidence.
Say your goal is to run that half-marathon, would you start with running 1 mile every other day or 3 miles every day? Of course, it would depend on your level of fitness and technique but if you are like most average people you would probably start slow. And that is a good thing for various reasons. The first is the main point we’re trying to get across in this section, you are setting yourself up for success rather than an injury which would be a failure. Lastly, you are allowing your body and mind to ease into a new habit and actually enjoy it rather than suffering through it.
Now if your goal is not a half-marathon but rather to lose weight, then the approach might be different. Some people highly benefit from going cold turkey with your approach. Meaning you are all in one day. There really is no right or wrong and it highly depends on your mindset. However, one thing is for certain: Be methodical about your approach depending on your goal. Different goals require different approaches. For the most part, in our opinion setting simple milestones along the way toward that goal will provide you with momentum, confidence, and motivation. As you progress, it is only natural to push harder and harder to crush your goals.
Consistency Is Key
This is where the magic happens. Literally. Men focus on instant rewards and bypass the process. Consistency is what makes all the effort and milestones into the desired outcome. While the compound effect applies to overall success, it also touches many aspects of our lives. Including our fitness. It is the accumulation of simple daily choices that over time it consolidates into a sustainable outcome.
It is the discipline to maintain that mindset and behavioral pattern that not only cements a strong character but also builds those habits that will launch your fitness exponentially. In fact, consistency in your fitness and physical wellness routine will translate into other parts of your life. It is what separates the successful enjoying results from the quitters relying on excuses.
Crush Your Goals
If you nail these 4 fitness fundamentals, you only have 1 task left: Crush your goals!
Never, ever, stop improving and challenging yourself. There is always room for one more push, one more rep, and one more milestone. And in this instance, this is what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary.
Check out our previous Health & Fitness article here.
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