A few months ago, Old Cityzen Jordan asked a profound question in our Facebook community group:

“Can we organize an informal convo/workshop on goal setting and tracking workouts?”

That question sparked an amazing conversation among Old City athletes and Coaches about how to set great goals, and—more importantly—how to achieve them.

Since a lot of perspectives were provided, we’ve spent the past few months organizing our thoughts and researching the best goal-setting practices. After putting it all together, we’ve created an Old City Goal Setting Method that will help you create and achieve your goals no matter where you are in your CrossFit journey.

Over the course of the next few months, we’ll be sharing our method with you. You’re invited to follow along, work with your coaches in class, and learn how to take your fitness (and life!) to the next level, including weekly assignments you can do at home and on your own time as you go through this process with us.

Before we start diving into the specifics of goal setting, we think it’s important to understand the purpose of setting goals. Simply put, goals help you stay focused and connected to the reason you decided to invest in yourself by joining a gym.

There is a “Why?” behind everything that motivates you. You joined a gym, investing in your health because of something. Perhaps you want to be healthier and more active for your family. Maybe the reason you joined the gym is you want to enjoy an active life and all the richness that stems from that lifestyle. I’m sure there are more than a few of you who want the confidence that stems from being able to look good and feel great on a daily basis.

Regardless of what drives you, goals exist as a constant reminder of your bigger picture. Our goal setting process is designed to start with your personal “Why?” and create a systematic approach to move closer and closer to your ideal life, unlocking your life’s potential in the process.

It’s one thing to have a vision for your life’s potential, but it’s an entirely different (and better!) thing to have a plan that will get you there. As the great Antoine de-Saint Exupery famously said, “a goal without a plan is a dream.”

#Gainz don’t happen overnight. They don’t come to people who haphazardly walk through life with their fingers crossed hoping that good things will come their way.

Our goal setting process at Old City will help you connect with your “Why?” and teach you how to break down that why statement into focus areas, ultimately getting to the thing (or things) that you want in your life that will move you closer to your why (let’s call this a goal).

Once you have 1-2 goals established that motivate and inspire you each time you read them, our process will teach you how to create a plan that removes potential roadblocks and constantly reminds you of why you’re working so hard.

So buckle up! Over the next few months follow along with our blog and social media as we’ll break down our process step by step so that you can become the best version of yourself as possible.

Action items for this week:

  1. Define your life’s potential.
    What are you capable of doing with your life? Be realistic, but also challenge yourself! Don’t pick something that you know for sure you can and will do; pick something that might seem lofty but you know is possible if you really work at it. Basically: thing big; then think even bigger.
  2. What are areas in your life live up to your potential?
    What areas in your life are you absolutely crushing? What parts of life do you have “figured out?” Spend some time thinking about your potential and write down a few areas of your life (2-3) that you believe are living up to your potential. A good example of this might be: “I work out 3-4 times per week, and I eat healthy most of the time. So my health and fitness are positives for achieving my life’s potential.” Or perhaps this example resonates with you: “I have a job I love that’s challenging and rewarding that pays me a lot to do what I’m passionate about each and every day, so I’m living up to my potential professionally.”
  3. Lastly, explore areas in your life that are out of harmony with your full potential.
    What has gotten in your way of getting more out of life? What patterns or habits have you developed that aren’t in alignment with what you ultimately want out of your life?     “I’m way more productive at work when I get a full night’s sleep, but I get distracted by enjoy staying up late and having a few beers” might be a good example of how one’s penchant for the hops creates potential incongruity.

Think about these things, and even post your answers to the community group or on the Old City FB page. In the weeks to come, we’ll start exploring our “Why?” and then teach you how to narrow that down into specific and tangible goals.