We live in a world of a lot of people talking about strength and conditioning goals and "working" towards them by reading self-help books and "optimizing" their morning routine following their favorite shitfluencer's advice before telling all their friends and family what they plan to do. This is the epitome of the drivel that derives from social media training space all talk no walk so to speak. Goals are incredible tools that we can use to push ourselves further than ever thought possible but keep in mind a couple of key components when it comes to setting and achieving training goals.
1. Speaking our goals out loud to others before completing them delivers dopamine to our brain that gives individuals what they are seeking instead of completing the goal often leading to individuals not actually completing them Gollwitzer P.M. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02336.x
2. Goals that are intrinsically important to an individual are more likely to be achieved than seeking an external validation PMID: 29551879. We often hear people discussing their "why" when seeking a goal and it is evident having a greater sense of internal desire for a goal results in a greater chance of completion.
What does this mean for us in practice? First and foremost in the words of a wise man "Don't talk about it, be about it." If your plan is to squat 500 pounds this year or lose some weight or anything else see the intention, develop a plan, and start to work. No need to tell everyone about it, just start working. Second, understand your "why". This requires some self-reflection and developing a greater understanding of why you are willing to go through this pain to achieve something great. No matter the goal big or small remember your name is attached to it. Thousands of years of individuals fighting, dying, exploring, and conquering in your bloodline have led to you being here today so be exceptional in everything you do.