PRO INSIGHT

Setting Effective Goals

Pro Insight - Effective Goal Setting


Everyone has different expectations, priorities, values and ambitions, and goal setting is no different. As it is the mapped relationship between you and your potential, taking a comprehensive view is crucial.


Everyone has different expectations, priorities, values and ambitions, and goal setting is no different. As it is the mapped relationship between you and your potential, taking a comprehensive view is crucial.

Measure your ambition
against your own ability

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This is a really important starting point when setting goals, and one that fundamentally needs to be answered from a place of honesty. The beautiful thing about exercise is that you are able to intuit progress and see results.

There is however a significant caveat: in fitness the ceiling moves. You can advance beyond your capacity, but only when you no longer accept that your limit is fixed and push for more. This is a defining fact of fitness, but you need to understand how far you can move the dial.

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Measure your ambition against your own ability...

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This is a really important starting point when setting goals, and one that fundamentally needs to be answered from a place of honesty. The beautiful thing about exercise is that you are able to intuit progress and see results.

There is however a significant caveat: in fitness the ceiling moves. You can advance beyond your capacity, but only when you no longer accept that your limit is fixed and push for more. This is a defining fact of fitness, but you need to understand how far you can move the dial.

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Keep focus on the long term,
as well as the short term

Keep focus on the long term, as well as the short term...

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It is really important to make sure your goal setting has the right balance of granular detail and broad perspective. Not only that, you need to recognise when to shift focus between them.
 
When training hard we use overload sessions to push our fitness up, but in the short term we feel tired - what can feel like a backward step in the short-term is actually a big forward step in the long-term. Analysing a time frame that is too short or narrow to include your broader view can lead you to rushed decisions.
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It is really important to make sure your goal setting has the right balance of granular detail and broad perspective. Not only that, you need to recognise when to shift focus between them.
 
When training hard we use overload sessions to push our fitness up, but in the short term we feel tired - what can feel like a backward step in the short-term is actually a big forward step in the long-term. Analysing a time frame that is too short or narrow to include your broader view can lead you to rushed decisions.
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On the other hand, getting stuck with a long term perspective often leads you off track in the short term. Because you are focused on a big target, recognising when you're starting to head off track is harder, and it can be a little while before you notice there is a problem.

This is most commonly found when people over-train and don’t realise it until it is too late, by which time they need to take some time off and recover before getting back to the program.

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Don't disregard the basics

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On the other hand, getting stuck with a long term perspective often leads you off track in the short term. Because you are focused on a big target, recognising when you're starting to head off track is harder, and it can be a little while before you notice there is a problem.

This is most commonly found when people over-train and don’t realise it until it is too late, by which time they need to take some time off and recover before getting back to the program.

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Fueling is a crucial part of getting fitter. If you do not take on board enough energy, you risk hypoglycemia, commonly known as bonking. This can actually disrupt your training plan. Not just eating in time, but what you eat can make a difference. I personally love SIS’ Immune Gels, as they provide extra nutrients that support the immune system through the harsh winter conditions.

For their part, riders unprepared for the conditions they face while out training increase their risk of illness whilst also allowing their motivation to take a hit. Invest into your training, wear the right kit for the conditions and give yourself the best chance of reaching your goals without having to make up for lost time or suffer on the way.

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Don't disregard the basics

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Fueling is a crucial part of getting fitter. If you do not take on board enough energy, you risk hypoglycemia, commonly known as bonking. This can actually disrupt your training plan. Not just eating in time, but what you eat can make a difference. I personally love SIS’ Immune Gels, as they provide extra nutrients that support the immune system through the harsh winter conditions.

For their part, riders unprepared for the conditions they face while out training increase their risk of illness whilst also allowing their motivation to take a hit. Invest into your training, wear the right kit for the conditions and give yourself the best chance of reaching your goals without having to make up for lost time or suffer on the way.

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Recognise progress,
and relish it

"Recognise your progress, and relish it..."


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In summary, goal setting should be taken seriously, it is not just about cycling or sport, it is about your relationship with your potential in any walk of life and how much you really want to reach. It is a personal journey framed by markers, some intentional and other random and out of your control. All sit within a structure for you to get to know yourself better and ultimately work towards what you really want.


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To stay motivated and committed it is important to recognize progress. Sometimes this takes a bit of discipline - it's easy to get carried away on the next goal or target, but to create sustainable progress, you need to take a deep breath sometimes and let yourself feel good about how far you've come.

If you don’t recognize how far you've come it is possible to over-reach psychologically. Equally try to avoid rewards that counter the progress you have made, like too much cake. Set markers and accept failures as lessons and opportunities that instigate a better understanding.

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To stay motivated and committed it is important to recognize progress. Sometimes this takes a bit of discipline - it's easy to get carried away on the next goal or target, but to create sustainable progress, you need to take a deep breath sometimes and let yourself feel good about how far you've come.

If you don’t recognize how far you've come it is possible to over-reach psychologically. Equally try to avoid rewards that counter the progress you have made, like too much cake. Set markers and accept failures as lessons and opportunities that instigate a better understanding.

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In summary, goal setting should be taken seriously, it is not just about cycling or sport, it is about your relationship with your potential in any walk of life and how much you really want to reach. It is a personal journey framed by markers, some intentional and other random and out of your control. All sit within a structure for you to get to know yourself better and ultimately work towards what you really want.


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Good luck and enjoy the ride...

 

Good luck and enjoy the ride

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To stay motivated and committed it is important to recognize progress. Sometimes this takes a bit of discipline - it's easy to get carried away on the next goal or target, but to create sustainable progress, you need to take a deep breath sometimes and let yourself feel good about how far you've come.

If you don’t recognize how far you've come it is possible to over-reach psychologically. Equally try to avoid rewards that counter the progress you have made, like too much cake. Set markers and accept failures as lessons and opportunities that instigate a better understanding.

_

"Recognise your progress, and relish it..."