Ask Better Questions, Build Better #Goals

The fitness world really gets hype on #Goals and #Motivation. I, for the most part, lack that sentiment.

I really find both rather rote and incomplete, especially when anchoring a fitness program in the context of lifestyle. Motivation tends to be tied into a specific (and let's be honest, often negative) emotion, which while effective in the short term, fades like the satisfaction from a new toy. Goals, while more academic, tend to be set too high, too far in the future, or too obtusely to be effective in the long term. Now, the issue is not with the concepts themselves, both are quite useful in making fitness progress. The issue is how they are perceived as the foundation for programming.

Intention makes for a rather solid foundation. Is it as sexy as Goals and Motivation? No, but foundations aren't supposed to be sexy, they are supposed to support and outlive whatever sexy stuff is built on top. Intention can also seem like a pretty daunting, just obscure enough to force you to think beyond the hashtags to find the deeper reasons for your training.

This may seem like some work to achieve, and it is, but it's not as much as your think, and way more rewarding than you'd imagine. More often that not, you can get in the ballpark in 3 questions, working your way back from your top goal...

What is a specific top Goal? >

What is the Motivation behind this goal? >

What is the Reason for this Motivation?

= Your Intention

And there you go, not too painful, but just introspective enough to get you out of your comfort zone... and that, my friends, is a good thing!

So since I should be willing to do anything I ask yall to do, here's my run...

• What's a specific top Goal?

• Ride up Dog Hill without gearing down.

• What's the motivation behind this goal?

• To be a stronger cyclist

• What is the reason behind this motivation?

• To enjoy the outdoors more

Ask these questions of enough of your goals and you will see a pattern form around your core intentions, and with these intentions forming a solid foundation, you can build a sustainable fitness program.

I would love to hear your intentions, see your fitness flow charts or read why you think I'm way too high on my own semantics...

Until next time, Move Well, Kick Ass my friends!