Without fail, the most success in fitness and personal training comes when it’s attached to a goal. The message is getting there slowly – this year more of my personal training clients have set big, clear goals for themselves than ever before. (There’s an interesting point here and that is that goals have to be set by the individual. I can guide them, but the goal has to come from the person otherwise they’re unlikely to be fully committed).

A real goal is something that you want to achieve – not that someone else thinks you should achieve.

Here are a few of the goals I’m working towards with some of my personal training clients…

• Complete Tough Mudder
• Compete in a Powerlifting Event
• Run a 10km race
• Achieve a full pull up
• Run an endurance race
• Lose 20kg
• Complete a triathlon
• Complete a 100 mile bike ride

There are lots more, but you get the point.

In achieving a goal, I turn the training into a project – sessions and programming will be geared towards the wider picture of achieving the goal.

Training adjustments could be in the form of exercise selection, volume, rep ranges, nutrition changes, stretching and pre-hab. Adjustments could be subtle, or they could be wholesale (when training for the powerlifting event, the person in question had their training changed dramatically!)

It should be the same for you guys with your training. Set your goal and work back from there – ask yourself what should you be able to do if you were going to be in good enough condition to achieve your goal?

That’s your starting point. When you know what you’d like to physically capable of, adjust your training loads, volumes and frequency to get you there.

So why make yourself a project?

Projects require more focus, more determined application of resources and clearer followings and outcomes.

A project is a long-term thing. It’s a goal that has a clear outcome. In the case of the goals above, we know what the desired outcome is so we know if it has been achieved – if my personal training clients who are aiming to complete Tough Mudder don’t do it, we’ll know we failed.

It applies across the board – if the outcome isn’t met, we failed to achieve the goal.

By stating the intention, we’ve got something to aim for. When we achieve it, we set a new goal and move on.

This year I have many goals, I’m making myself a project. Are you?

Give it some thought – stop treading water when it comes to your training and commit to something bigger. If you need accountability or guidance, hire a personal trainer or work with a friend. State your intention and work towards it.

By now many new years resolutions have failed and people are in exactly the same place they were last year. Don’t be like the others – commit to something and go for it!

I’d like to hear what you have planned.

P.S. I’m giving away a FREE eBook ‘101 Health and Fitness Tips’ to everyone who subscribes to my VIP email list. By joining the list you’ll have access to exclusive content, discounts, offers and products from both me and selected partners. Click here to download!