5 steps for practical, process-based goal setting

When thinking about your health and fitness journey, make sure you consider the process and not just the outcome. And here’s how!

This isn’t just some philosophical mindset shift work about “enjoying the journey” (although there’s value in that, too). There are very concrete, practical ways that you can prioritize the process, through setting and hitting habit-based goals; which in turn actually makes it more likely that you’ll achieve the outcome you have in mind.

Let’s say, for example, you want to lost 15 lbs. That’s an outcome-focused goal.It’s okay to have a weight loss goal, if that’s important to you. But we only have so much direct control over outcomes. What we CAN control is the behaviors and the processes we put in place as we pursue that outcome – so that’s where we’ll focus our energy. We know we won’t just wake up one day and weigh 15 lbs. less than we did the day before. So we have to ask ourselves: what habits (i.e., process-focused goals) do we need to have in place in order to make progress towards that outcome-focused goal?

Maybe you could eat more fruits and vegetables (which, in turn, will help you eat less of other things – the “crowding out” effect). You can set a habit goal of eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day.

Maybe you want to move your body more. You can set a habit goal of attending CrossFit four times per week, or getting at least 30 minutes of active movement (walking, stretching) per day.

These support your weight loss goal, but they focus more specifically on the habits and skills that - if developed and practiced consistently - will really help to move the needle.

Why be so specific with our process-focused goals?

It can be easy to give up on a goal when it’s just an outcome that may take a while to achieve. In this example, losing 15 lbs. takes time; and it’s unlikely to be a linear process. It can be demotivating to not see progress right away, or every day. But if you put process goals in place, and focus intently on those - you can feel good about achieving them each day or each week, regardless of the number on the scale. In turn, this helps keep the motivation going until you reach the outcome. Focus on the process, and the outcome will follow. We typically suggest starting with just 1-3 process goals. There’s evidence that the more things you try to change at one time, the less likely you are to still be doing those things one year later. Kind-of like Ron Swanson would say, “Never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing.”

Want to set your own process-focused goals? Try this five-step process:

1. State your outcome-focused goal. Be as specific as possible here.

I want to get more sleep – 8 hours each night.

2. State why that outcome-focused goal is important to you. Ask yourself, so what? (And if you can’t answer this… it may be a sign to reevaluate your outcome-based goal.)

I’m tired of feeling like I’m just going through the motions. I know that if I’m well-rested, I’m more likely to bring my best self to my work, my family, and my workouts – three things I care a lot about.

3. Identify at least one thing you can change about your current lifestyle that will help move you closer to that outcome.

I can work on falling asleep earlier.

4. Identify 1-3 specific, habit-based goals that support those lifestyle changes.

To get to sleep earlier, I will:

Limit blue light exposure (e.g., from my phone) 60 minutes before bedtime; and
Spend at least 5 minutes doing a mindfulness exercise.

5. Monitor your progress. Regularly review (perhaps with your coach 😉) how many days you completed each of the habit-based goals you selected, make note of any changes you have observed, and adjust the plan as needed.

I did my mindfulness exercise 6 out of 7 nights this week; but then I answered emails from my phone right before bed, and so my mind was still racing with thoughts of work while I tried to fall asleep. This week I will re-focus on my commitment to limit blue light exposure before bed.

Need help figuring out what process-based goals best support the outcome you’re seeking? You’re in the right place!

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Carb cycling might sound complicated, but we promise it’s not that intimidating and works well for a lot of our clients! To put it simply, carb cycling simply involves alternating between various carb intakes throughout the week based on factors like training, schedule, etc. This is a common and effective strategy to improve body composition.