The Missing Piece in Your Transformation: Defining Your Target State

Most people who want to change their bodies, their health, or their lives jump straight into action. They sign up for programs, start new routines, or hire a coach, hoping that effort alone will bring transformation. However, change becomes aimless without a defined destination or a target state.

Think of it this way: if you set off on a journey without knowing where you’re going, how will you know when you’ve arrived? More importantly, how will you even know which direction when you feel you are at a crossroads?

The Trap of 'Fixing' Yourself

Many people approach transformation from a place of frustration or self-judgment. They want to “fix” their pain, their injuries, or their perceived shortcomings. But, if your motivation for change is rooted in what’s wrong with you, you reinforce a narrative of limitation. That’s like trying to build a new house on a foundation that’s already crumbling.

Instead, transformation should be about stepping into a new way of being, not escaping an old one. That’s where defining a target state becomes essential.

What Is a Target State?

Your target state is the version of you that already exists, just outside of your current perspective. It’s not about a number on a scale, a perfect movement pattern, or an external validation. It’s about how you want to feel and experience life in your body.

Do you want to feel strong, free, and capable? Do you want to trust your body again? Do you want to lead a life with optimism? These are the internal markers that will shape every external action you take.

Setting Your Target State

Before you begin any transformation, take time to define:

1. How you want to feel in your body every day

2. How you want to think about yourself and your capabilities

3. What habits and routines will support this way of being

   
   

When you clarify these elements, change becomes inevitable because your decisions and actions align with your new identity.

Why This Matters Before You Start

Without a target state, you risk chasing someone else’s version of success (maybe your coach's or your partner's) or falling into inconsistent moments of inspired action. You might push through pain, force yourself into unsustainable routines, or fall into frustration when things don’t change fast enough.

With a target state, every step you take is intentional. Challenges don’t derail you because you’re not just ‘fixing’ a problem, you are stepping into a new identity.

Transformation Begins With a Decision

So before you sign up for another program or dive into another training plan, ask yourself: Who am I becoming? Once you have that answer, everything else becomes a process of alignment, not struggle.

This is how true, lasting transformation begins. It seems like it should be more complicated, but the only complexity lies within you, not the process.

Final thought

In twenty years of guiding physical and behavioural change, I have never met someone who didn't have the capability to change, but I have met hundreds of people who lacked the belief they could change.

What has been true in most cases of working with people is that they are way closer to the life they desire than they initially believe.

Most people, including myself, have spent a large portion of their lives setting their intention on what they don't want and attracting it. What if we just tried to shift our intention to what we want and attracted that instead?

Too simple? You will never know if you never try.