"That way is North!"

All right, I have so much that I want to chat about but here is the analogy that I use most at CFC.

Without a clearly defined goal, you don't have sh*t!

So you have goals, "I want to get stronger, I want to lose weight, I want to win the CrossFit Games..." If you don't have a clearly defined SMARTE goal you pretty much have an idea with nothing to ride on.

Here goes the analogy.

You tell me "Hey Rudy" I'm looking to go north. What do I say? "Cool. It's that way. See you later."

You need to know specifically where you want to go are you looking to go to Lincoln Square? Evanston? Glenview? Schaumburg? Skokie? Fullerton Ave? They are all north. If you don't know exactly where you want to go, I can put you in the right direction but no where as efficiently as if I knew precisely where you want to go.

Once that is defined, Then you can reverse map it. How far are you from your specific point? Measurably how far are you to your goal from where you are at now. You need to have markers on the way to ensure you are closing distance with your goal.

Is your goal really attainable? Do you want to walk to Canada? I'm not saying your goal is impossible but is it possible for everything that you have going on in your current lifestyle? Work? Family? Age? Training? I'm not saying don't dream big, just be realistic. Look at people that have done what you want to do, how long have they trained, what does their regimen look like? What did it take for them to get there? Can I do more? Can I get there more efficiently...

Now, we have where we want to go to. It's S.M.A.R gotta add the T. This is where we first look at the total time available from start to end. If you have tried this before you have a better estimate. In CrossFit we say "we fail at the margins of our experiences", however we also measure and estimate our future from the margins of our previous experiences. Backwards mapping was something that was popularized while I was going to school as an elementary ed teacher. START with your goal and work it backwards this is the only way to have a successful plan. YOU NEED A WRITTEN PLAN. This is your road map. You can estimate your time schedule, your distance, see your goal destination... THIS IS IMPORTANT. Without this reference it's easy to get of course. You may one day refer to your map and realize that you want to go somewhere else, but at least you have a better idea how to get there and also know where you don't want to go.

Lastly, why the hell do you want to go there? Say I want to go North to Addison and Western. Emotionally why do I want to go there? am I going there to check out the big school on the corner Lane Tech? Or am I hungry and want to go to the Popeye's on the corner? Am I crap tired and craving coffee at Dunkin Donuts? Do I have to go to the bathroom and my home is right around the corner? Say my son is not feeling well and I need to get my ass home. Emotionally you need a reason to go where you are going. The more you are emotional and honest to yourself about it the higher the priority it will take in your life.

What does this have to do with anything? EVERYTHING! Goal setting is everything!!! You honestly can't ask me a question without knowing (or me asking) what your goal is.

Right now the most common question on the blog is "How long should I be doing "X" cycle?" What is your goal? There is not 1 answer that fits all. Your goal dictates your path. WHAT is your goal and WHY is that your goal?!?!?!?!?!?