Goals

[lovelylady35]

Hi all,
I posted a couple of months ago about being new at CrossFit.
I’m still training, I even did some bits of the open.
Our gym has a thing for members to set goals for the year, and they help them being accountable, etc.
I honestly don’t want to do it. Only thing I want as a goal is to keep showing up, whatever improvement I get I see it as a win.
Reason for not wanting to do it is that I sometimes find hard to use the keep going/keep pushing method to my advantage.
As a context, I’m one year cancer free and have cPTSD from treatment. Sometimes being pushed to do things I find hard, not confident or don’t want to do triggers me to the point of a panic attack.
It doesn’t happen often, but having a menty b in front of strangers is the last thing I need.
I’m working on my recovery physical and mental.
I do get one to one check ups with one of the coaches, but I really don’t think I’m ready for the full on goal coaching thing.
Just looking for advice. Cheers x

 

[emethalethia]

@lovelylady35 you can always try a different approach to goals. A lot of people are looking towards weights, reps, movements. If your goal is to just keep showing up, why not make your goal come to class x days per week? or x days per month?

 

[duke7779]

@emethalethia This is the way.

 

[heloisebellamy]

@lovelylady35

I’m one year cancer free

Tell everyone your goal is to be two years cancer free. Nobody's gonna try to challenge you about that.

 

[lovelylady35]

@heloisebellamy Love this! Because staying cancer free is the reason why I train!

 

[tkchapin]

@lovelylady35 If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. It sounds like you don’t need your gym’s goal program to be successful, so skip it.

 

[eligp1240]

@lovelylady35 Does your gym have a “Committed Club” where you try to get x number of classes in a month?

Maybe that would be a good goal to start

 

[ewaldron1988]

@lovelylady35 That makes perfect sense. I think just set your goal as showing up consistently. Goals look very different for different people, no need to make it movement specific.

 

[juanna]

@lovelylady35 We do the yearly goals thing at our gym too, and several members have put attendance goals. They are just as valid as anything else.

 

[kong0311]

@lovelylady35 I love the goal of showing up. They can help you with that goal as well! pick an attendance goal and get after it!

 

[aseyesee]

@lovelylady35 Keep showing up should Absolutely be accepted as a goal.

 

[cruser1988]

@lovelylady35 Newbie here, 59 years old. I have an attendance goal. 1% better every day!

 

[watgrad]

@cruser1988 Then you are done in 100 days.

 

[cruser1988]

@watgrad Yessss!

 

[highlyfavor]

@lovelylady35 I fully subscribe to the Dodgeball approach to goals: “I found that if you have a goal, you might not reach it. But if you don't have one, then you are never disappointed. And I gotta tell ya it feels phenomenal.”

Don’t feel pressure to set a goals if you don’t feel it’s right or necessary for your health. I wish more coaches understood that goal setting can have negatives. I opt out of that process because I find the negatives far outweigh the positives. My only goal is to enjoy what I’m doing at the gym. Whenever I set goals around attendance or performance, I have a lot less fun with what I’m doing due to the pressure I place on myself.

If you’re enjoying the gym you’ll probably prioritize showing up and that’s all it takes to make progress.

 

[neowatchman]

@lovelylady35

Only thing I want as a goal is to keep showing up

This is an excellent goal and I would encourage you to write this on on the goal board. Exercise isn't only about becoming the strongest or fastest or any other high end objective. Sometimes its about moving your body to prepare for those times of high anxiety/stress.

 

[pat4jesus]

@lovelylady35 The attendance goal mentioned is a great option. You can also set goals around specific movements, like get double unders, perfect my deadlift form, or practice pull-up negatives 2x a week.

 

[watgrad]

@lovelylady35 Make your goal “ be consistent in my attendance “. One of mine on our board is “improve “. I see that most days as the board is right near our jackets ,bags and shoes. I’ve already did one goal to do a competition. And I am working towards my 10 dubs.

 

[aellen1995]

@lovelylady35 My written goal for this year was to ”show up more times than last year”. I even won a raffle prize for setting a goal!

 

[winrose]

@lovelylady35 I’ve always found it’s good to have multiple goals. Some can be stretch goals, some can be more easily achievable but the real key piece is have both an outcome goal — eg, lift x lbs in DL, improve 2k Erg by y seconds — and a process goal — eg, attend x classes per month.

You’re currently talking about a process goal. It’s good to have one: it keeps you showing up, and it’s within your control. However, it may not really help you push to improve.

Outcome goals push you to improve, but may not be fully in your control (if it’s a real stretch target like run 4:00 mile, all the effort in the world may not get you there).

Hence why it’s good to have both.

Edited to add, you can take an outcome goal to improve something you’re already good or decent at. That’s perfectly valid goal, just as valid as improving a weakness or learning a skill you currently can’t do. That way you don’t need to feel like you’re being forced to do something challenging that you don’t want to do!