When you set your goals, are you setting yourself up to win or are you setting yourself up for disappointment?
Setting yourself up to win can give you momentum for your next project, while disappointment can create set-backs and disillusion that can keep you stuck.
My experience in the 2024 CrossFit Open reminded me that when it comes to goal-setting, we need to ensure 3 factors to set ourselves up to win.
A Lesson From CrossFit Open 24.3
The third workout of the CrossFit Open, 24.3, was a 2-part workout that required completing 5 rounds of 10 barbell thrusters and 10 jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups, a total of 100 reps of the movements.
After a minute rest, athletes moved on to part 2: 5 rounds of 7 barbell thrusters at a heavier weight, and 7 chin-over-bar pullups.
The time cap was 15 minutes.
Chin-over-bar pull-ups is something I work on regularly, and I wanted a chance to prove my skill on that. I knew I could get some chin-over-bar pull-ups if I could get to that point.
If I could get to that point was the big question.
I would first need to get through the 5 rounds of jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups — a skill I had never done before. And if I got through Part 1, I would have to first complete 7 thrusters at a weight that was my 1-rep-max.
This was not going to be an easy task.
The first time I did the workout, I only got to 95 reps by the 15 minute time cap. I finished feeling a sense of frustration and futility.
A few days later, I redid the workout with a new approach to the jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups. In my second performance, I completed the 100 reps of Part 1 in just under 10 minutes.
In theory, that left me plenty of time to get through the heavy thrusters and to the pull-up bar.
Then I hit my true limiter: the heavy thrusters. I got the first two. Then I tackled them as singles, with at least one fail for every successful lift.
I got the final lift with just seconds to spare, ran to the pull-up bar and got one pull-up before the clock expired.
It was a significantly better performance than my first attempt.
I did what I initially set out to do.
By all accounts it was a win.
But at first, I felt disappointed.
What would cause me to feel disappointed with such a major improvement?
Over the weekend before redoing the workout, I had looked at the scores from other women in the gym. Most of them had gotten through at least two rounds in Part 2 of the workout.
Influenced by their achievements, I set myself up with the expectation that I should aim for their scores.
I set this expectation for myself even though I knew that they are stronger than I am and that for them, the heavier thrusters were not necessarily as heavy as they were for me.
Seeing my disappointment, one of my friends who supported me in my redo of the workout reminded me that I did what I had initially set out to do.
You said you wanted to get at least one pull-up. You got it.
Her reminder shook me out of my malaise, and brought me back to reality.
I realized that my disappointment was rooted in setting a goal for myself based on other peoples’ achievements instead of based on my own capacity.
It was an important reminder of a lesson that has relevance way beyond the gym.
3 Requirements for Goals
When I first start working with a new coaching client, we might spend a few weeks clarifying their vision and goals.
Too many people think they can just aim for a dollar figure in revenue or income because they perceive that this is what other people are doing. Or they simply pick a number that sounds impressive to them.
When setting goals it’s important to ensure that your goals meet 3 important criteria:
(1) They are aligned with your values;
(2) Your motivations are driven by your internal desires; and
(3) The actions you need to take to achieve those goals are within your capacity.
Big goals require dedication and discipline over a long arc of time.
If your goals aren’t aligned with your values, you won’t be motivated to take action.
If you aren’t motivated by an inner desire, you won’t have the perseverance to persist in the daily actions when you run up against obstacles.
And if you don’t have the physical capacity to take the necessary actions, you won’t reach your destination.
Set Goals Aligned With Your Capacity
My experience in Open 24.3 reminded me of the importance of looking at my own capacity instead of what others are doing.
To set yourself up to win, set goals that are aligned with your values, your desires, and your capacity.
Your goals may be more modest, but modest goals can set you up to win and give you confidence and momentum going into the next project.
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