When you set a goal, whether it’s to lose weight, improve your 5k time, or build strength, it becomes your primary focus. You push yourself, stay disciplined, and work hard to achieve that goal. When you finally reach it, the feeling of accomplishment is incredible. But what happens next? Far too often, after the initial celebration, people find themselves slipping back into old habits or losing motivation. This is why setting a new goal is critical, and it’s something many people overlook.
There’s a story that illustrates this perfectly from the world of professional sports.
The England Rugby Team Story
During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the England rugby team had a clear goal: to reach the final. They trained hard and focused on this singular objective. And they did it—they made it to the final. But when the final came, they underperformed. Many have speculated that the issue was not their physical readiness but rather their mindset. They’d achieved their goal of reaching the final but had never set a new, more ambitious target: to win the final.
This story is a powerful reminder that achieving a goal is not the end. In fact, without a new goal in place, there’s a risk of stagnation or even regression. Whether in professional sports or personal fitness, setting a new goal is essential to maintain progress and stay motivated.
The Post-Goal Drop: Why Performance Can Dip After Success
There’s a psychological phenomenon that can occur after achieving a major goal. You’ve likely experienced it yourself—a sudden drop in motivation or performance once you’ve crossed the finish line. This can happen for a couple of reasons:
1. Lack of Direction: Once the initial goal is met, if there isn’t something else to focus on, you can feel a bit lost. What’s the next challenge? Without a new goal, it’s easy to fall back into old habits.
2. Loss of Drive: The hunger and energy that fuelled you to reach your goal can start to wane without a fresh target. Achieving a big goal can sometimes lead to a sense of complacency, making it harder to stay disciplined.
Research in the field of motivation and goal-setting supports this idea. Studies have shown that individuals often experience a dip in performance or engagement after reaching a major milestone unless a new goal is set quickly. This is sometimes referred to as an “achievement hangover.” It’s not just about fitness—this principle applies to many areas of life, from work to personal development.
Why It’s Important to Keep Setting New Goals
The key to long-term success is to keep moving forward. If you want to avoid drifting or falling back into old patterns, you need to have a new challenge on the horizon. A goal gives you purpose, structure, and something to strive toward.
When you achieve a goal, it’s important to take a moment to celebrate your success, but don’t let the celebration last too long. Momentum is a powerful thing. If you don’t keep it going, you risk losing it altogether. By setting a new goal, you maintain the forward motion, ensuring you continue to grow, improve, and stay motivated.
Building on Your Success
The best way to approach your next goal is to build on what you’ve already achieved. Let’s say you’ve just completed your first 5k race. That’s a fantastic achievement, but now it’s time to ask yourself: what’s next? Maybe it’s aiming to complete the 5k in a faster time. Or perhaps it’s setting your sights on a 10k race.
The new goal should challenge you beyond what you’ve already done, but it should also be realistic and measurable. The more specific your goal, the easier it will be to track your progress and stay motivated.
The same goes for strength training. If you’ve reached a certain personal best in the gym, don’t stop there. Set a new target. Whether it’s increasing your rep count, adding more weight, or mastering a new exercise, there’s always room to grow.
How to Set Your Next Goal
Setting a new goal is crucial, but how do you choose the right one? Here are a few tips:
• Make it Challenging: A goal should push you beyond your current limits. If it doesn’t require effort and dedication, it won’t give you the same sense of achievement.
• Align it With Your Passion: If the goal doesn’t excite you, you’re not going to stick with it. Choose something that genuinely motivates you and makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.
• Build on What You’ve Done: Your next goal should relate to the success you’ve just achieved. Whether it’s running a longer distance or lifting more weight, it should feel like a natural progression.
• Keep It Measurable: To stay on track, your goal needs to be measurable. That way, you can celebrate your progress along the way and stay motivated until you reach the finish line.
Celebrate, Then Set a New Goal
Achieving a goal is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. But if you want to continue growing and improving, it’s crucial to set a new target once you’ve celebrated your success. Without a new goal, it’s easy to lose momentum and drift back into old habits.
So whether you’ve just smashed a fitness milestone or hit a personal best, take a moment to enjoy it—but don’t stop there. Set a new goal that excites you, challenges you, and keeps you moving forward. That’s how you maintain long-term success and ensure that each victory is just a stepping stone to the next one.
Coach Joseph Webb.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’