What if Missing the Target is the Point?

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela

You’ve probably noticed the whiteboard notes: Target scores. Intent. Movement standards. Hopefully, you've also been involved in the post-class chats: “Did you hit the goal?” “Were you close to the target?”

But, here’s the truth: missing the target isn’t failure—it’s feedback.

We write standards and targets not to create pressure, but to help create clarity. To give you a measuring stick to gauge the intended stimulus of the workout. To say: “Here’s what we’re after today.” It's never about perfection, but alignment.

So if you miss the target—good. Now we all get to learn.

Scaling = Strategy

This is where scaling comes in—not as a downgrade (or upgrade), but as a tool.

Scaling isn't about “more or less than.” It’s about tailoring the challenge to hit the intent.

If the target is 7–9 minutes, and you finish in 15 because the barbell was a bit too heavy to cycle, or a run crushed you too early, you didn’t fail—you just trained a different energy system for the day. And, that actually doesn't really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.

But, when we scale with intention—lighter bar, faster run, more controlled pacing on sets—we get the training effect we’re after. And that means progress.

Fitness is not a pass/fail test. It’s training. It's a journey. And every day is a chance to learn something about who you are physically, AND—perhaps even more importantly—how you react mentally and emotionally when you feel yourself missing the mark inside the gym and how that translates outside the gym.

Intentional Reps Outside the Gym

This week, my 10-year-old daughter Gracelyn gave me some feedback that hit hard: “You’re on your phone too much. You never listen to me the first time—especially when you’re driving me home from practice.”

Oof.

I could’ve been frustrated. Defensive. Played the “busy victim card”:

“Work is crazy.”“There’s a lot going on at the gym.”“I’m trying to be there for some other people who really need me right now.”

All of those things are true. But they don’t change the fact that I missed the stimulus. I wasn’t showing up the way I needed to as a dad. I didn’t set myself up to succeed in the moments that mattered.

It reminded me of someone missing the workout target and blaming the workout:

“The barbell was too heavy.”

“The run was too long.”

“I can’t do pull-ups…”

Maybe those things are true—but it doesn’t change that the stimulus was missed.

So instead of focusing on why we missed, what if we shifted the question to: “How can I set myself up to hit the target next time?”

Here’s something I’m going to try outside the gym: set my intention before I even get a chance to miss.

Earlier this week, I was listening to an interview with Dr. Andrew Huberman, and he talked about the power of saying out loud what you intend to do. It helps prime your brain and body for follow-through.

Then I heard Navy SEAL veteran DJ Shipley talk about his post-work routine: before he walks into his home, he mentally prepares to be the husband and father his family needs.

So I’m combining both. Before I walk through the door at home or pick up one of my kids from a practice I'll listen to a 45 second voice memo that reminds me to reset and step into the role that means the most to me with honesty, patience, and love.

It’s a small but powerful way to scale my mindset to match the intended stimulus. To shift the focus from productivity to presence. To walk in—not perfectly, but purposefully.

Maybe you try something similar this week.

So What’s the Real Score?

The score on the whiteboard isn’t the real test.

The real test is: Did I move with intention?

Did I pursue the right challenge?

Did I grow from what I learned?

Miss the mark? Good. That’s where we get better.

Scale it right? Even better. That’s what training smart looks like.

One workout, one rep, one step at a time—inside and outside the gym.

Always with purpose.

See you in the Lab,

Coach Keith

Community Fitness Lab — The Home of CrossFit Fairfield