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Fitness Goal Setting - Where Do You Want To Be and How Do You Want To Get There?
There can be many reasons for this unintentional “forgetting”. For example, maybe they feel their goals are unattainable, or maybe they feel instinctively awkward about pumping themselves up for a good workout. Oftentimes we also set unrealistic goals. For instance, if you ran a mile in 9 minutes this week, don’t expect to run the same mile in 6 minutes next week. Consistently pressuring yourself to attempt these types of outrageous feats will surely burn you out faster than you can say “fitness goal setting.” Also consider how important the goal is to you and your situation. Maybe you want to decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease. Maybe you want to train for a 5K run. Or maybe you just want to be a more active parent. Whatever the case may be… The key to a successful training campaign is to set both long, medium, short-term goals. There’re countless numbers of people out there who skip this small step and end up burning out and eventually stopping their strength training program. In fact, you’re brain sets many of these goals automatically. Let’s have a quick example.
You may be wondering how this ties into fitness goal setting. Well, obtaining food is an instinctive reaction that is required for survival. Instinctive goal setting is, after all, how we’ve survived as long as we have. Since strength training isn’t always instinctive, we need to consciously set reasonable, attainable fitness goals to help us stay on track. Here’s an example of a goal scheme you might set up for yourself… Short term: jog a mile without stopping Medium term: jog 2 miles without stopping Long term: Join the running club you’ve always wanted to join Of course, you’ll want to gradually gain the ability to reach each goal. Never jump from one goal to the next! This type of fitness goal setting can be extremely helpful for use in a weekly or monthly basis. Set up a goal that you want to accomplish this week. Where do you want to be by the end of the month? How about next year? The key is to take baby steps along the way. The more giant steps you take, the longer the journey will be.
This is a concept that most people simply don’t think about (the easy thing to do is give up!). Working out should be a stress reliever, not a stress inducer! So, what I’m saying is… Don’t tell yourself you don’t have time! This is a critical mistake that most people make within the first 8 weeks of a fitness program. People are quitting their program before it’s even become a habit!
A strength training program is never any easy thing to start. From here on out, I challenge you to believe in yourself. Tell yourself that you can do it. You know why? Because you can. I also understand that life can kick us in the butt sometimes. Even if you fall off the fitness wagon temporarily, pick yourself up, figure out what went wrong and get back into it. If you find it difficult to keep up with your program, you may think about hiring a personal trainer or joining a fitness group at your local gym or rec center. One other way to help keep you on track towards your goals is to start your own strength training log. Keep track of your progress. How much did you bench press last time? How many sets did you do? How does this compare to your previous records? Even write your goals at the top of the page to help keep you motivated.
As you can see, fitness goal setting can be an invaluable tool to keep your program running smoothly along with providing some extra motivation. Without this motivation, the benefits of strength training will go unnoticed. Give it a shot!
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Fitness goal setting is something that many people take for granted in our society. Studies have shown that most of the fitness goals we set for ourselves tend to fade away as time progresses. 
Let’s say your running out of healthy food in your pantry. An instinctive short-term goal would be to get to the store and buy the food you need. The medium-term goal is to eventually eat the food later that day. The long-term goal is that you’ll have food available for the immediate future.
Along with taking these baby steps, make sure you set logical goals for yourself. What I mean is, don’t schedule a workout for an hour when you’ve only got 30 minutes to spare. If you feel stressed about getting to the gym 4 days per week, then cut it down to 3 days in order to make your program more manageable. 
Fitness goal setting isn't just about setting a goal, it's also about managing your time. In other words, trial and error is essential – create a routine that works for you and your schedule! This will allow you to make healthy, long lasting habits. 
Whenever you begin a training program, you're first question to yourself should be, "What are my goals? How do I want to get there?"