I do a bit of bike riding as part of my exercise program. There is a ride coming up in 6 weeks that is 230 km long and includes 1900 m of climbing. Some of my friends have suggested we do it together. It’s not supposed to be a race but more a test of survival.
I thought I’d use the goal of completing this event as an example to show how having a goal can help you get and stay fit.
I believe having a goal helps in four ways.
It GUIDES your actions and thoughts
As soon as I agreed to do this ride, I started to think about what I needed to do to prepare for it and I’m doing things I haven’t been doing (although I probably should have been doing some of them).
I’m adding a bit to each of my normal rides to get extra kilometres in my legs and I’ve planned to do a few long rides over part of the course so I know what to expect. I’m also conscious that I have to prevent my leg and back muscles from getting too tight, so I don’t get sore up after hours on my bike. I’m doing extra stretching to keep the muscles as flexible as possible.
It OPENS you up to possibilities
In setting a goal, your brain starts to be aware of what is possible.
The goal itself might be something you never thought possible. Riding 230 km would seem an impossibility until you are given the chance to consider it, and realise that with some hard work and effort you could actually do it. Many people complete activities they never thought possible.
Achieving one goal you never imagined being able to do, gives you confidence to take on other ‘impossible’ goals.
It gets you into ACTION.
Just the act of committing to doing something in the future gets you into action. If you are like me, you want to enjoy the experience of completing your goal so you will do the work necessary to achieve it.
I already ride four times a week but having this additional challenge has got me doing things I might not have done (like look for extra hills to ride up). Once you have set a goal, you start to take action toward achieving it.
It gives you a LONG-TERM perspective
Long term is relative, but having a goal takes your focus off how you feel in the moment so you make choices based on what you want to achieve in the future.
If you only exercised when you felt like it, you probably wouldn’t do much. Having something you are preparing for is often the incentive you need to get started and do what you want to even though you don’t feel like it at the time.
I know there will be days when I don’t feel like riding that bit extra or doing the stretching I need to do. Having the goal of the ride is the motivation to do it anyway. The disappointment of not achieving my goal isn’t something I want to experience.
So there are four ways having a G O A L can change your thoughts, behaviours and importantly, your fitness. If you’re not sure if this works, set yourself an activity goal and tell lots of people about it. Then go about doing the things you need to do to achieve it.
You’ll be glad you did, even if you don’t think so at times along the way!
