Rest Day

~Goals~

A lot of people today think they have Goals or know how to set them.. Then get disappointed when they don't accomplish their goals and wonder, "Why? What Happened?" The problem wasn't that they were incapable of achieving their goals, rather the goals they set were unattainable or they did not properly prepare to reach their goals. You see the act of setting a goal is great, but without careful planning, preparation, and execution, you are not guaranteed to reach your goals. I found the following Acronym on the web and thought that it applied to Crossfit perfectly.

Be S.M.A.R.T. when setting your goals:

S - Specific: Have I described the details rather than general ideas of the goal?

M - Measurable: Can someone else measure and see that I reached my goals?

A - Attainable: Is the goal actually reachable?

R - Realistic: Even if it is reachable, is it realistic that I am willing to do what it takes to reach it?

T - Timeline: Do I have a deadline for reaching this goal?

You see, when I set a goal for myself to compete at this years games, I knew the road ahead of me was no stroll in the park. I didn't just step up the first day of crossfit and say "I wanna win the 2010 Crossfit Games!"

No, I knew I wanted to compete, but I also knew how hard it was going to be to get to where I needed to be in a very short amount of time. So I wrote it out. "I want to compete at the 2010 Crossfit Games Sectionals in March 2010 and qualify to the Regional competition- Realistic, Specific, Attainable, and it has a Timeline....

Measurable??

Sure, with Workout Logs, Food Journals etc.. - the basic essence of Crossfit - Increased Work Capacity across Broad Time and Modal Domains. How fast can someone do a lot of functional work in a short amount of time - Every second of your time in a certain workout is a measurable and observable improvement in your fitness!

Also with Proper Training/Information, Diet/Nutrition, and Recovery I am setting myself up for success. Over the last few months I have taken these subcategories, broken them down and researched them as much as I could all day long. I have gone to the box on schedule, a lot of times at 4am due to my work schedule, to workout and train and restructure my body. No more late nights at bars or clubs. I have totally changed the way I eat. Even the way I look at food now, not as something that needs to tasty, but a fuel source, that when taken at the right time and with the proper Macro Nutrient Ratio, allows me to perform at my peak ability level.

I urge you all to set goals, no matter how big or small. Apply this acronym not just to your fitness goals, but goals you set for everyday life! Just don't write a goal down and say "OK Done!" Break it down, Study it, Master it... And make sure you are willing to put in the work your goal requires.

You can either have Results or Excuses..... Not Both!