What is your ultimate bodybuilding goal?

It was all about looking better and impressing chicks. I mean seriously, who starts for any other reason?

But the more serious I got about going to the gym, the more I could see other benefits that outweigh any type of chick.

• Better life balance - if you regularly go to the gym, not long will go until you will feel better. You will understand the importance of doing something physical, you will notice that getting sick is something that doesn't happen so often anymore, you will sleep better, you will get stronger (which is something we all could use in our daily life, regardless of our jobs).
• Dieting -  as soon as you read a bit about bodybuilding, you will realize that results come much quicker if you put some efforts into dieting. This will also help you stay healthier. You will start being aware of what you put in your stomach every day, you will start saying yes to chicken breast and broccoli over chips and beer. And you know what the best part is? You will love it.

• Becoming part of a community - this shouldn't be underrated. Don't get me wrong, I am a lone wolf in the gym. I like training alone, deepening myself in my music and counting my sets up in my head. Every once in a while, when I need a spotter, I walk around, find the biggest dude and ask him for help. In the last three years, I've only had one saying no, excusing himself and saying that he was done with his workout and was on his way out. Try asking people you don't know for help anywhere else, I am sure the answers will not be as positive.
  
  Also, I've often met with people who go to the same gym as me outside of it, and although we are strangers, when we walk past each other, we say hello and smile. We know each other. We struggle with the same weights in the same gym for so many hours per week. We understand how hard it is. We understand why. We have something in common. Don't underrate being part of a worldwide community.

• You do actually attract more attention -  this was my goal from the beginning, but it became less and less important with time. But it still happens. You notice that people look at you differently. When you take your shirt off on the beach and exhibit your flat abs and broad shoulders, people turn their heads around. It changes other people's perceptions about you.
  
  You can easily compare it with going to a job interview in a suit or in an old T-shirt and jeans. Regardless of what you have to offer, you will be looked at differently just based on your appearance. It's the same with having a healthy, good-looking body. It's a great feeling.
• You will always be the healthiest in the room - Among your friends who like to party every single weekend and your family who just doesn't understand how can you waste so many hours lifting weights, you will be the healthiest and the strongest. You will say "no" to dessert, "no" to beer and "no" to staying up late - you need your eight hours of sleep per night. But the great part is that now you have a reason to do it. You have a purpose, a goal. It's great to have goals in life.
• Earn money off it -  Although this is something that I am absolutely not interested in, there are people whose purpose is to build a great body and become a model. That's fine too, whatever floats your boat.

• Self-awareness - this is a big one, and it takes a very long time to achieve. In the beginning, you take your ego with you in the gym, like Nicolas Cole likes to say. The more you go to the gym and realize this is not the way to train, the more you leave your ego at the door. There is always going to be someone faster, stronger, taller than you. There's no point in comparing yourself to others. Just focus on yourself: how good you are, how much progress you are making, how you look compared to 6 months ago, how good your deadlift form is, and so on. Ignore what others do. It won't add any value to your life.
• Find your here-I-can-be-myself place - I promise you that once you go to the gym for a while, the gym will become the place where you actually relax. It sounds counter intuitive, I know. But somehow, exhausting yourself by lifting weights for an hour will be the most relaxing part of your day. Trust me on this one.
  
  The gym will be the place where you go to take tough decisions. It will be the place where you have time to be yourself, without anyone disturbing you (just put your headset on). When my grandmother died a few years ago, it was the first place I went. It helped me release my pain and anger by having some weights to focus on. It took my mind off everything for an hour and a half. No amount of friends, alcohol or reading can do that. But the gym can. It's really a magical place for some people. It definitely is for me.

The purpose of bodybuilding can be exactly what you want it to be. Bodybuilding is just a tool which you can use to achieve whatever your goals are. Just like meditation is a tool that helps you achieve whatever your goals are. The purpose of bodybuilding is not set in stone, written black on white, and is not the same for everyone.