You're Setting the Wrong Goals (And That's Why You're Stuck)

You've got your outcome goal written down somewhere. Maybe it's on your vision board. Maybe it's in your training log. Maybe it's just burned into your brain:

"Qualify for nationals." "Hit a 500-pound deadlift." "Place top 3 in my age group."

And every single day, you wake up and measure yourself against that goal. Every training session is evaluated by whether it got you closer to that finish line. Every week that you don't see dramatic progress feels like failure.

Here's the problem: You're obsessing over the one type of goal that science shows is least effective at actually getting you there.

The Research You Need to Know

A 2025 study by Szumowska et al. examined thousands of real-world goals across three categories:outcome goals, performance goals, and progress goals.

The findings? The goals most athletes fixate on—outcome goals—are the least effective at driving consistent effort and motivation.

Let me break this down in a way that actually matters to your training.

Outcome Goals: The Finish Line That's Failing You

Outcome goals are about the end result. The trophy. The qualification. The PR on the platform.

"Win my age group." "Total elite at my next meet." "Make it to the podium."

These goals feel motivating when you set them. But here's what happens in practice:

You're eight weeks out from your meet. Training is hard. Progress is slow. You're not where you thought you'd be. That outcome goal—that big, shiny finish line—starts feeling impossible. So your motivation tanks.

Or worse: You hit the goal. You qualify. You PR. And then what? You feel empty because you were so focused on the destination that you forgot to build a process you actually enjoy.

The research confirms what you've probably experienced: outcome goals alone don't sustain effort. They're too far away, too dependent on factors you can't control, and they provide zero feedback on your daily execution.

Performance Goals: Better, But Not Enough

Performance goals focus on hitting a standard or benchmark.

"Squat 405 for a triple." "Run a sub-20-minute 5K." "Hit 85% of my lifts in this training block."

These are better than outcome goals because they give you clearer feedback. You either hit the standard or you don't.

But here's the limitation: performance goals still tie your motivation to a result. And if you're not consistently hitting those benchmarks—maybe you're in a deload week, maybe you're managing fatigue, maybe you're still building capacity—these goals can feel discouraging.

They work when you link them to something more immediate. But alone? They don't create the feedback loop you need to sustain momentum.

Progress Goals: The Game Changer

Progress goals focus on what you do, not what you achieve.

Instead of "Deadlift 500 pounds," it's "Complete all four deadlift sessions this week with prescribed intensity and volume."

Instead of "Qualify for nationals," it's "Execute my competition prep plan for 12 weeks without missing a session."

Instead of "Lose 15 pounds," it's "Hit my nutrition targets six days this week."

The study found that progress goals consistently boost motivation, satisfaction, and confidence. Why? Because they create immediate feedback. You either did the thing or you didn't. And when you do the thing, you make measurable progress. That progress makes you more likely to keep going.

This is the feedback loop that actually drives results: effort → progress → confidence → more effort.

Why This Matters for You

You're probably thinking: "But I need outcome goals. I need something to aim for."

You're right. You do.

But here's what you're missing: Outcome goals are the horizon. Progress goals are the engine.

The horizon tells you which direction to walk. The engine is what actually moves you forward every single day.

Most athletes set the horizon and then wonder why they're not moving. They're so fixated on the destination that they forget to fuel the vehicle.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Let's say your outcome goal is to be a total elite at your next powerlifting meet in 16 weeks.

Old approach:

• Set the total you need

• Obsess over whether each session is "enough"

• Feel discouraged when progress is slow

• Lose motivation around week 10 because you're not where you thought you'd be

New approach:

• Set the total you need (that's your horizon)

• Break it down into progress goals: "Complete all prescribed training sessions," "Hit RPE targets within one point," "Execute mobility and recovery protocols four times per week."

• Measure yourself daily by whether you did those things

• Build confidence through consistent execution, regardless of how the weight feels on any given day

The outcome is still there. You're still aiming for it. But you're measuring success by what you control: your execution.

Your Next Move

Pull up your current goals. I'm willing to bet most of them are outcome or performance goals.

Now reframe them as progress goals:

Outcome goal: "PR my squat by 50 pounds."Progress goal: "Complete my squat program as written for 12 weeks, hitting prescribed volume and intensity"

Outcome goal: "Place top 3 in my division."Progress goal: "Execute my prep plan without missed sessions, hit nutrition targets 6+ days per week, complete all posing practice."

Outcome goal: "Run a sub-6-minute mile."Progress goal: "Complete three speed sessions per week at prescribed paces and one long run."

You still know where you're going. You've just changed how you're measuring the journey.

And here's what the research shows: When you focus on progress, the outcomes take care of themselves.

Because progress goals do somethin,g outcome goals can't—they give you proof every single day that you're moving forward. And that proof is what keeps you going when the finish line still feels far away.

If you need help building a goal structure that actually drives consistent progress instead of constant frustration,book a call with us. We specialize in helping high-achievers stop chasing outcomes and start engineering momentum.

Reference: Szumowska, J., Jasko, K., Dukała, P., & Górska, P. (2025). Goal cycle: motivational and emotional antecedents and consequences of goal progress. Motivation and Emotion.

Stay Strong,

Paul Oneid, MS. MS. CSCS

Founder and Head Coach