When the Road Changes
As spring settles in, picture yourself booking a road trip for your family. You’ve mapped out the perfect route, carefully planning every stop for food, fuel, and rest. Every detail is accounted for. With excitement, you set off, eager for the journey ahead…
Barely 30 minutes down the road, you hit your first hurdle, construction works on the motorway force you to take an unexpected detour. At first it’s frustrating - this wasn’t on the schedule and definitely wasn’t showing up on Google Maps when you checked this morning. The detour forces you to take a scenic overlook you hadn’t even thought to consider on the trip, and suddenly, that unplanned twist becomes the highlight of this early part of the journey.
Fitness goals often unfold the same way. We begin with clear objectives for ourselves - lose X pounds, hit a certain bench press target, run a 5K in under 30 minutes - only to find life throwing detours in out path. An injury, a busy quarter at work, an illness that knocks you for six, or an unexpected change that takes you out of your routine. In these moments, the key is not to see the detour as a dead end but as a chance to reassess, adapt, and possibly discover something knew about ourselves.
Why Goal Reassessment Matters
Life is Dynamic
Goals that you may have set in January might feel outdated even by this mid-part of March, let along how they may feel in August or November later this year. Periodic reassessment helps ensure your targets still align with your current life.
2. Progress Isn’t Linear
We often imagine a smooth upward trend towards the top right, but real progress looks more like a jagged line - plateaus, dips, and even backward steps.
3. Motivation Ebbs and Flows
Revisiting and adjusting your goals can reignite your drive. A slightly tweaked objective or timeline may just be the spark you need to keep going.
How to Check In on Your Progress
Set Regular Intervals
Last week, I sent out the second set of the In-Person Client Month-in-Reviews, this time for February - A look at attendance, performance indicators, and monthly highlights. Whether it’s once a month or every quarter, schedule your own quick check-in. Ask yourself: Have my priorities shifted? Am I still excited about this goal I’m working towards?
Measure What Matters
Consider both the tangible (like strength gains, session or class attendance, mileage accumulated) and the intangibles (like energy levels, mood, willingness to train). Sometimes, the real success is feeling more at ease in your body.
Be Honest With Yourself
Acknowledge what’s currently working for you, and what isn’t. If you’re still avoiding the morning runs you committed to in January because you hate jogging alone, maybe it’s time to join a running club or switch the activity.
Adjusting the Course
When you notice things aren’t going as planned - or you’ve already met your initial target - it might be time to modify your goal:
Refine the Target
If the big picture still resonates but the specifics don’t, scale up or down. Maybe losing another 4-6lbs this month isn’t necessary anymore, but looking to build up your resistance training intensity for some strength gains could be the new focus.
Extend or Compress Timelines
Had a setback? Give yourself more time. Feel you could do more? Tighten the schedule to maintain momentum.
Shift the Focus Entirely
Goals evolve. If you initially pursued a weight loss goal but you’ve discovered a love for rock climbing, shifting to a climbing-focused aspiration could be more rewarding - and sustainable.
Final Thoughts
Scenic detours can be more memorable than the original plan. Likewise, recognising smaller victories along the way - fitting clothes more comfortably, sleeping better, or your working weight on an exercise now becoming your warm-up weight - fuels motivation. Each achievement, however minor, deserves acknowledgment. After all, it’s these small milestones that add up to a meaningful transformation.
Think of it like collecting souvenirs from the places you stop at on that road trip: a picture you take of a scenic overlook, a postcard from a quaint costal town, a memory shared with friends or family on the way. These little moments define the journey far more than any itinerary every could.
Your health and fitness journey is much like a trip with it’s fair share of unexpected detours. Plans may change, goals may shift, time horizons will shrink or expand, and sometimes you’ll find a better path along the way than the one you meticulously prepared for. By regularly reassessing your objectives, adjusting your route when needed, and celebrating each victory - big or small - you turn what could feel like obstacles into opportunities for further growth.
After all, the true measure of success isn’t how flawlessly you can stick to the initial plan, but how dynamically we’re able to pivot, adapt, relish the journey.