Many people say it is necessary to have a goal, but is it really? Is it possible to simply exercise, try to do better in the back of your mind, approach things casually, eat good food, sleep, effectively deal with stress, and be healthy and fit? Well of course it is! Remember, only Sith Lords deal in absolutes. Where are my Star Wars fans? Well John, how do you progress if they don’t have a goal? Elementary my dear Watson, think in patterns, be in the present moment, and keep progress in mind.
Patterns! Squat, hinge, push and pull horizontally and vertically. These are basic movement patterns, within these movement patterns, you will prioritize what is the hardest for you. The hardest exercises and patterns we tend to avoid, but this is a good sign that the body probably needs it as it is more than likely a weakness. By focusing on patterns and prioritizing weaknesses, we are improving what is necessary. Now if one were to have 10 goals that spanned 20 exercises, that is so broad that one is likely to not make progress. By doing the hard stuff first, literally, we are doing more for our body than even a goal like increasing your bench press. At risk of digressing on a tangent, why would you like to increase your bench press? Rather, what is the point of the goal, and/or how is it meaningful to you. This thinking I consider important because it gets us not only thinking in patterns and directly addressing weakness, but we can reflect on what we are moving towards physically.
Being present can be hard in a world where we are constantly plugged in, stressed, divided attention, and many many cheap distractions that hijack and sabotage us. A great way to get a break from this is to try and be present. Be in your body, put forth all the necessary effort into your workout, and listen to the feedback your body is giving you. This is not a free license to submit to pain and weakness. These are signals that we can decode and still move forward. Lunges, for example, are hard for me, and I am not ignoring them any more. IT is hard, and painful, but not risky, except to my ego. Otherwise, practicing being fully present in the moment will allow one to give their full and undivided attention into each rep. In this respect the workout routine and exercise regime is an opportunity to unify body and mind, and arguably spirit. So be present, go into each set and rep with your undivided attention, and experience how your workout could be an experience where the body, mind, and spirit come together.
Keep progress in mind, what is this Kung Fooligans? Being obsessed with a goal with a singular focus is an incredible strategy that is successful with many people, from college athletes, professional athletes, military personnel, to high performing individuals in work and business. But if we narrow our vision on a single goal and neglect other things, is the goal worth pursuing? That depends on the individual and what the goal means to them. Write down your goals if it resonates, take a picture of something that triggers and inspires you, do the vision board thing if you wish, visualize your goal. These are all great things. Otherwise, if you have formulated a plan for your goal, and plan on checking and testing at regular intervals, then one can be process oriented. Focus on the process and the journey. You can test yourself every 4-6 weeks or even every 2-3 months. When gauging progress, you do not always have to do a 1 rep max, you can use a 2,3 or 5 rep max. Pavel Tsautsoline has a squat program that is based on a five rep max that I absolutely love. Testing and checking progress can vary according to what one is trying to achieve. So focus on the process, life is a journey, and do not lose sight of the forest through the trees.
