In part 1 I talked about the importance of goals. In that article, I gave some tips on how to actually achieve a goal. Today, I'll go a little deeper into different types of goals, what use they are and how they can work for you.

Three types of goals

Result goal

An example of a result goal is riding a certain ranking in a gran fondo. For example: I want to finish first in my age group. Or: I want to finish among the first ten in my age category. This is the dot on the horizon for your training sessions. The disadvantage of a result goal is that you have absolutely no control over it, because it depends on the opponents and other circumstances. A result goal is often far in the future. This might make you think: I will skip this training for a while. Or: it's raining. I don't feel like it. The gran fondo is still far away.

Performance goal

An example of a performance goal is riding a certain time in a gran fondo. Here you have a little more control because this goal does not depend on your opponents. You can calculate yourself what wattages or speeds you need to ride in order to ride the particular gran fondo within your target time. Your performance goal is the motivation to train. The disadvantage of a performance goal is that it is still largely dependent on circumstances, such as the weather. Also, the performance goal is often far in the future - with all the disadvantages for your motivation already mentioned above.

Process goal

If you have set an outcome goal, you can then link a performance goal to it. Then you create a training plan to actually achieve the desired results. Following your training plan is the goal, your process goal. This allows you to achieve your goal every day by doing the workout in your training plan. Every time you have done the workout, you have achieved your goal for that day. That's great for your motivation.

Doing nothing motivated

If there is a rest day in your workout schedule, you can therefore achieve your goal by doing nothing at all. In fact, it can motivate you to make sure that you really do nothing that day and get a good rest. A process goal is not dependent on circumstances - extreme circumstances aside. You have much more control and the more control you have over the achievement of your goal, the more motivated you are to achieve it. The more often you achieve your process goal, the more likely you are to achieve your performance goal or outcome goal.

Forget your (result) goal

After months of motivated and hard training, you are at the start of a gran fondo. Self-assured and super fit, of course, because you have been motivated and therefore able to prepare optimally for this day. Because you are fit and looking back on the past months with satisfaction, the chance that today will be a great day is much greater. The result has become much less important. You can forget ranking or finishing time. You are in great shape and you will ride as well and as fast as you can today!