Do any of you just NOT have defined goals?

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mayne70

New member
The title may be confusing, but I realized I don’t necessarily have defined goals or quantifiable goals. My goals are to be healthier and stronger, but I don’t have any lifting goals (in terms of reps/sets/weights) or defined weight loss goal. I just want to keep on progressing and moving up in lifts. I do track of course all my numbers… but I don’t have a personal goal in terms of weights/rep maxes I’m trying to obtain.

I want to lose body fat (be more “toned”) but don’t have a number in mind for the scale.

I guess I realized…I never will stop trying to progress based on this, but I’m okay with that. Have I reached enlightenment with lifting? Lol I guess I just truly enjoy going to the gym, it’s not a chore, I try to push myself to do better, but i do not beat my self up when I’m stagnant. Maybe this comes with age and making it truly a lifestyle change? Just wondering if anyone else is also just enjoying the process as a true hobby and something for enjoyment?
 
@mayne70 I spent the majority of last year in bed due to cancer/chemo. It made me realise how much I took my body and my ability to be active for granted.

I have no specific aesthetic or numbers based goals, I just like the regular movement.

It is obviously nice to notice how far I've come, for example I swam 1800m yesterday. In January I could barely do 25m. But I don't track or have specific goals or anything I feel I need to achieve.
 
@mayne70 I mostly workout for stress reduction and mental health reasons so I don’t really have any specific goals at all lol just there cause it makes me feel better
 
@mayne70 Just want to say this thread is so validating. I once told my therapist that I have no fitness goals except to keep going to see what my body is capable of, and she made it seem like that was wrong. To be fair, I think she was worried that it may become obsessive since I once had ED tendencies. But I feel so much better about myself when I DON'T have specific goals that I may or may not live up to.
 
@mayne70 I want to not feel achy and tired all the time. I want to be able to play with my kids and run in a game of tag. I want to pick them up without groaning or hurting my back. I want to stop peeing my pants (hooray bladder prolapse!). I want to have energy and mental clarity and generally feel happy. And I want to look in the mirror and like what I see.

So my goals are defined but in terms of reps or weight or clothing sizes. Numbers are much less important to me than being happy with the quality of my life.
 
@mayne70 Yeah my goals are all over the place. Because muscle weighs more than fat, I don't really have a bodyweight goal. And within the recommended 21–32% bodyfat for women, I'm just like "Okay I think I wanna be in the middle there somewhere." I guess my one true goal for the moment is to have the cardiologist tell me I don't need to go on statins when I check back in with him in a couple months. My other goal is to do something active every day.
 
@mayne70 I'm mildly disabled. Specific goal-setting is just a fast-track to injury for me.

My goals are to remain active and mobile and non-sedentary.

Anything beyond that is just a bonus.
 
@mayne70 I have goals but once I reach them I’d like to be here, mentally. Im struggling to reach them because of life circumstances but the fitness activities I do at the moment are somewhat unstructured while still being somewhat consistent, and mentally that’s a good thing for me. Big example is that I go bouldering at my local gym. I’ve been doing it for years. I have a height fear, I would like to take classes, I am not ‘good’ at it but I literally keep going because it’s fun.
 
@mayne70 My goals are firm but not specific. I am always trying to get stronger or at least maintain strength. And I exercise for the management of anxiety. I'm 44 and want to stay strong and functional as I age. I don't work on aesthetic goals anymore as I never reached a single one that made me feel happier with my body. I'm happiest when I focus on what my body can do instead of what it looks like, (knowing that that changes all the time) and doing my best at whatever I'm doing. I do a mix of strength training and cardio and I try to do things that I enjoy. When I stop looking forward to doing something, that means it's time try something new.

Exercise/Fitness is definitely a hobby for me in the enjoyment and knowledge/experience aspect of it, but I view myself as an athlete. Most hobbies I'll put off for various reasons (too busy, not in the mood etc) but with fitness, I treat it as non-negotiable, like an athlete would. It's something I do every day, like brushing my teeth, showering, or preparing food. I don't skip those things just because I'm not in the mood or feeling lazy. It gets done, period. Yes, I take rest days as needed, and if I'm truly under the weather, I don't workout.
 
@mayne70 Me! I don’t know why, but organizing things and setting goals does the absolute opposite for me. If I’m working out and running enough that I’m losing weight and looking better and feeling better, I’ll do it! But once there’s goals and specific dates involved or a rigid schedule it brings me right out of it. My brain just doesn’t operate like that!
 
@mayne70 This is exactly how I work.

I don't even weight myself regularly because I don't care about the number on the scale.

My goals are simple, to be healthier, to be stronger and to be more toned. Its all about what my body can do instead of what it can't do.
 
@mayne70 I work out because I would be climbing the walls and be an overall unpleasant person to be around if I didn’t. My workout goal is to tire myself out enough to be a functional human on a daily basis.
 
@mayne70 I am focused on exercising feeling good and being good for me mentally more than defined goals like weight loss or muscle gain. If that happens it’s just a happy accident
 
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