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Set a Habit Based Goal

Set a Habit Based Goal
by Erik Castiglione

It’s 2020, which means droves of people are going to be hitting the gym, shopping for meat and veggies, and taking other steps to start their New Year’s Resolution journeys. (Apparently a number of our members are getting into the swing of things too and have purchased $1 memberships to the Edge. Yes, I see you.) We’ve talked about resolutions and goal setting numerous times on this blog, so rather than beat a dead horse, we’re taking a different approach this time around.

Set a Habit Based Goal

It’s tempting (and easy) to try to set a big, sexy, performance goal. Want to deadlift 500 lbs? Get a muscle up? Bench press 300 lbs? Great! Go for it. While these types of goals are all well and good, they’re mostly for show INSIDE the gym. Outside the gym, you probably won’t see a whole lot of carryover. If you’re moving boxes, what’s the likelihood that it’s going to be 500 lbs? Other than your fellow gym goers, can any of your friends conceptualize the difference between 400 and 500 lbs? And realistically, will your life be drastically different if you can bench 300 lbs instead of 250? Probably not.

Additionally, while performance goals feel good when you achieve them, they can lead to huge senses of frustration and disappointment if you don’t get there. Not to mention the performance anxiety a lot of people experience on test day. The point of setting a performance goal in the first place is to experience the process and learn the dedication involved in trying to achieve it. In other words, you build the habits necessary to succeed.

Set a Habit Based Goal

With this goal in mind, I’m encouraging everyone to set a habit based goal this year, related to health, rather than performance. It can be something small, but it should be something that will make a lasting impact on your health and life OUTSIDE the gym. There are 24 hours in a day, and we spend AT MOST 2 of those working out in the gym. Focusing on something that takes place during the other 22-23 hours of the day will give you more bang for your buck. Some ideas:

  1. Get up and stretch or walk around after every 30 minutes of sitting.
  2. Eat some kind of protein with every meal
  3. Eat some kind of leafy vegetables with every meal
  4. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night
  5. Do 10 minutes of mobility work every day

Turning just one of these into a habit will drastically change your life for the better. You’ll be healthier, and you’ll feel better. Your doctors will notice, and your friends will notice that you’re not constantly sore and complaining about it. Most importantly, you’ll recover better from your workouts, which is HUGELY important if you want to achieve your big, sexy performance goal. So, pick one that you can maintain, get to it, and start reaping the benefits!

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