Is GOAL setting worth it?

     Without a true destination, how will you ever know if you're really heading in the right direction? Or rather, if you don't have a measurable goal set, how can you possibly achieve it?
Just saying something vague like I want to look good for the summer or I want to pack on some muscle isn't an actual goal that can be measured. 

      To make the most out of setting goals, you really want to make a detailed description of what it is you hope to achieve. This is where you don't want to make a goal such as "lose some weight" or  "gain a few pounds of muscle". You want to make it really accurate, for example, "get my body fat down to 8% by August 17, 2014" or "pack on 3 pounds of lean muscle mass bySeptember 5, 2014". These are goals that can in fact be measured.

      These goals will take more effort because you have to put more into them to measure their success. For the first goal, you will need to measure your body fat and track it to make sure you are seeing body fat drop while also making sure you're not losing too much lean mass. Or if your gaining lean muscle you will have to use the scale to check your weight and also measure your body fat to make sure your gaining lean mass and not too much fat. 

      Set a deadline or a time frame on when you plan to achieve your goal. Be strict with this time frame and stay with it. This will hold you accountable in reaching your goal. By setting a strict date you ensure that you have a time frame to complete your goal. This makes cheating, such as a few beers at a cookout or a plate of wings and nachos a lot harder to justify. You have a specific goal you want to achieve and a set timeline to do it in, so those cheat meals are not going to help you get there on time. Or if you do over indulge, you're just going to have to work a lot harder in the gym.  And really, who wants to work any harder than they have to?

      Lastly you want to plan out the actions steps you plan to take to achieve your goal. If your goal is to drop the body fat, you have to learn how to measure your body fat and check the same measurements each week. You should record your results to make sure your going in the right direction and to keep track of your progress. If you are not seeing any progress you know right away you have to adjust your nutrition and exercise. If your goal is to add 3lbs of muscle then you should learn to measure your body fat and use the scale to make sure your gaining weight but that its lean muscle and not just body fat. 

      Your goal(s) should be practical. Something like 3-5 lbs of muscle in 2-3 months can happen. But something extreme like 25lbs of lean mass in a month is only setting you up for failure and discouragement. By achieving small the small reasonable goals you will gain motivation and feel good about yourself! These achievements will keep you on the track to success. It is all the small victories that will keep you motivated and happy.

     Remember when planning your goals, they should be as specific as possible. They should be measurable! That way you can keep track of your progress and make sure you're getting results. Goals should also be realistic, not something crazy and extreme that will just end up disappointing you. Lastly your goals need a deadline to keep you on track and on a reasonable timeline so you know where you have to be at certain dates leading up to your deadline.
Try setting a reasonable goal with all the above information above and really give it your all. I bet you will be surprised at how good it feels when you accomplish it.

Here's some links to get you started on measuring body fat:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/how-to-measure-bodyfat-using-calipers.html​