Six Sigma Fitness: Goals (Define)

It recently occurred to me that I don't have very well-definited fitness goals. I mean, I started this blog to "keep myself accountable," but that alone is not enough. What am I doing? Just working out?

-- The importance of setting goals: --

"In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia." - Unknown

Recently, I've been working out without a purpose. That's a pretty bad idea. Most people require a measure of success to keep themselves motivated to achieve... otherwise, why the hell would you work out?

Pfft, let me stop you fitnophiles before you even start... I'm talking to the people who, like me, DON'T enjoy working out, who DON'T thrive off the endorphin rush, and have to practically coerce themselves into doing anything that remotely resembles physical activity. Some of us need a reason to interrupt our otherwise comfortable existence to sweat, ache, and stink. Sounds baffling, I know...

-- What makes a good goal? --


I recently took a set of Six Sigma classes. (Six Sigma is essentially a methodology for thorough problem-solving, which is only vaguely applicable to actual day-to-day work, but that's another story.)

Six Sigma puts substantial emphasis on goal-setting, using the "S.M.A.R.T." mnemonic:

S - Specific: addresses the "Who, What, Where, Why, Which"
M - Measureable: establishes concrete criteria for measuring progress
A - Attainable: ensures that your goal is within reach

R - Relevant: ensures that pursuing this goal is a worthwhile allocation of resources

T - Time-bound: sets a time-frame to establish a sense of urgency and accountability

Is anyone else not *that* surprised there's a Six Sigma lolcat?

 -- I'll be the guinea pig... --


I'll use myself as an example. I know I have the potential for abs, so I could make that my goal - it's Attainable, but neither Specific nor Measurable. I know I have to get rid of that old "stubborn belly fat" but there are a million different goals I could set to try to tackle that. What makes the most sense?


Strictly speaking, I want to reduce inches around my waist, but that's really only a partial solution (not Relevant). I want to lose fat all over. One commonly-used metric is BMI (Body-Mass Index). When I was "obese" (i.e. had a lot of fat to lose), it was an excellent metric to measure my progress. The problem with using BMI now is that not all mass is created equal. To get abs, you need muscle mass and not fat mass. You need a low BF% (Body-Fat Percentage).


Now, even after two rounds of Insanity, ChaLEAN Extreme, and a few other random regimens here and there, I'm still between 16 and 18% (BF% is really tough to calculate without a caliper, but there are decent - albeit inconsistent - tape-measure calculation methods out there). 16 - 18% isn't BAD... in fact, it's comfortably in the "Average" range, but after some research, it seems that most men start to see abs around the 10%-mark. Let's give this a shot:

"I want increase ab-visibility by reaching a BF% of 10%."

Close, but I'm still missing something... It's not Time-bound. I want to set a reasonable date to achieve this goal, but not too relaxed so as to reduce the sense of urgency. June 1st, 2012 is not only reasonable, but Relevant (swim-suit season). Now we have it:

"I want increase ab-visibility by reaching a BF% of 10% by June 1st, 2012."

I think that's a mighty-fine goal, and I hearby adopt it as my own.

Ah yes... There's one more ridiculously important step in this process: Disclosure. Unless you make your goals known beyond the boundaries of your own cranium, you can start to lose accountability and find ways to bend the rules so I can escape the sweat, ache, and stink. -- I mean "you." YOU would do that, not me...

<.<
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When you publicly put yourself on the line, the people you tell become your involuntary support group. Whether they cheer you on or not (they probably won't) you'll still be obligated to follow through.

-- May the Force Be With You --

 So now it's your turn. Where are you today and where do you want to be? Do you want to lose weight? Are you looking for a little more muscle definition? Maybe you just want to be able to run a mile without stopping, or best your friends in a pull-up competition?

Figure out what your goals are. Be Specific. Make sure it's Measurable. Despite your wild aspirations, make sure it's Attainable and Relevant. Set a Timeline to keep yourself accountable, and lastly, TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

-Clive

(More on S.M.A.R.T. goals from Wikipedia.)