Goal setting is one of those topics everyone thinks they understand.

Set a target. Make a plan. Stay motivated. Achieve the goal.

Simple, right?

And yet in coaching, fitness, and personal development, goals fail all the time. Not because people are lazy. Not because they don’t want it enough. But because the way goals are set often ignores the most important part of change: the journey.

At Study Active, we teach coaches to look beyond the surface of goal setting. Because lasting results don’t come from writing better targets - they come from understanding people better.

The Problem With Destination-Only Thinking

Most goals are destination-focused.

“Lose 10kg.”
“Run a marathon.”
“Get qualified.”

There’s nothing wrong with outcomes. They give direction. They provide clarity. But when the outcome becomes the only focus, progress becomes fragile.

Miss a few sessions. Life gets busy. Energy drops. Suddenly the goal feels miles away. Motivation dips. Guilt creeps in. Consistency disappears.

A destination-centric approach asks: What do you want to achieve?

A journey-centric approach asks: Who do you need to become for this goal to make sense?

That shift changes everything.

When coaching centres around process, habits, and identity, the pressure moves away from chasing a result and towards building a way of living that supports it. The destination still exists - it just isn’t carrying all the emotional weight.

And that’s where sustainable change lives.

Connection Before Prescription

Before goals. Before plans. Before metrics.

There has to be context.

One of the biggest mistakes new coaches make is rushing to be helpful. Programmes are written quickly. Targets are agreed enthusiastically. Everything looks professional and structured.

But without meaningful consultation, even the most perfectly designed plan can fall apart.

People don’t buy into goals. They buy into meaning.

Why now?
Why hasn’t this worked before?
What’s competing for their time and energy?
What would success actually change?

These aren’t “nice to ask” questions. They’re essential.

When someone feels understood, goals stop feeling like external expectations and start feeling like personal decisions. That ownership is what turns intention into action.

This is why consultation skills sit at the heart of our coaching education. Because programmes only work when people feel seen first.

Designing Goals for Real Life — Not Ideal Life

Guesswork is one of the most common and costly - mistakes in goal setting.

Assuming someone is motivated enough.
Assuming they have time.
Assuming they’ll adapt their lifestyle once the plan starts.

The result? Goals that look impressive on paper but collapse under real-world pressure.

Journey-centric coaching replaces assumptions with evidence. It accounts for current habits, work schedules, stress levels, sleep patterns, family commitments, and past experiences with burnout or inconsistency.

Progress doesn’t come from pushing people harder. It comes from designing goals that actually fit.

When a goal works on a bad week - not just a good one - consistency stops being a battle.

Not All Goals Are Created Equal

Another reason goals fail is that they’re treated as one-dimensional. In reality, effective coaching works across different time horizons.

Short-term goals create momentum.

These are the small, immediate actions that build behavioural traction. Training twice this week. Preparing gym kit the night before. Walking on rest days. Individually, they’re simple. Collectively, they change behaviour.

Medium-term goals provide structure.

A 12-week strength phase. Building consistency with three weekly sessions. Improving running efficiency over eight weeks. These connect daily habits to something more meaningful without overwhelming the client.

Long-term goals shape identity.

This is where the real transformation happens. It’s not just “I lost weight” - it’s “I’m someone who trains consistently.” It’s not “I finished a programme” - it’s “I prioritise my health, even when life is busy.”

When short-term actions support medium-term structure, and both reinforce long-term identity, motivation becomes internal rather than forced.

The Behaviour–Priority Mismatch

Here’s a truth every coach eventually learns:

People don’t fail because they lack discipline. They fail because their behaviours don’t match their priorities.

Journey-centric coaching doesn’t judge this. It explores it.

If someone says health is important, but their diary, sleep, and stress tell a different story, that’s not a character flaw. It’s misalignment.

Instead of pushing harder, skilled coaches create clarity.

What’s currently taking priority?
What feels non-negotiable right now?
What would need to change for this goal to fit?

When priorities shift, behaviour follows naturally. No guilt. No shame. Just alignment.

Sustainability Isn’t About Lowering Standards

There’s a common myth that being realistic means aiming lower.

It doesn’t.

Sustainability isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what’s realistic - CONSISTENTLY.

That might mean shorter sessions instead of skipped workouts. Fewer training days with higher adherence. Systems that reduce friction rather than relying on willpower.

If a plan demands constant motivation to survive, it isn’t well designed.

Well-structured goals should feel challenging but achievable - even when life gets messy. That’s the difference between intensity and sustainability.

Coaching the Journey

When you step back, the pattern is clear.

Goals don’t change people.

Journeys do.

When coaching focuses on process, reflection, adaptation, and identity, results stop being something clients chase. They become a by-product of how someone now lives.

And that’s the level modern coaches need to operate at.

If you want better adherence, stronger client relationships, and outcomes that actually last, stop obsessing over the destination alone. Learn to coach the journey properly.

At Study Active, our CIMSPA-endorsed qualifications are built around this real-world application, developing coaches who can think critically, consult effectively, and design programmes that work beyond week one.

Because in the end, it’s not about writing better goals.

It’s about building better coaches.