What’s the Point?
As we enter the new year and look back on the last, did we accomplish everything we wanted? Did we start out 2014 with a bang, only to have the momentum stolen from us just a few weeks, or months later? This seems to be the most common trend of a New Years resolution.
I think though, that if we really think about it, we actually did better than we thought. I think some of us made it through the year, and may have gotten thrown off by the holiday season, but for the most part, hung in there. I think others of us may have fallen off earlier, but made another (some times several) attempts to jump back on. Let’s be proud for a moment, for all we DID do. For all the smaller goals we may have accomplished. For falling down 5 times, but getting up 6.
Let’s revel in any new experiences, new people, and new ideas we’ve encountered in 2014. Maybe we even brought back things that we left behind, mended some fences, and moved forward towards something more positive.
Now, once we’ve taken a moment to reflect on all that 2014 was, let’s jump on the new opportunity to get even better! The new year, much like a birthday, offers the energy and momentum of a new milestone. This one however, is one we all experience together, and the energy, excitement and anticipation is felt by us all. Much like the beginning of a race, there’s a collective buzz that can help carry us through to be better than we thought. It can help us to reach higher and push harder than we previously dreamed.
Simple Steps to Accomplish Your Goals
Whether it’s a better diet, your first 5K, PRs, weight loss, family additions, or a more organized life, all successes need a plan and some follow through to make it happen.
The SMART way to success
I’m guessing most people have heard of SMART goals; specific, measureable, assignable, realistic, and time-related (I realize that some words may be different than what you learned, but the gist of the acronym is the same). There’s a reason it’s taught in most businesses and schools, because it works.’
Writing down your action plan to accomplish something not only forces you to figure out how to make it happen, writing it down puts it “out there”. It’s no longer just a thought in your head, it’s in front of you, daring you to try.
An example of SMART goal action plan would be something like this;
1. Specific – run my first 5k at the shamrock run March 17th
2. Measureable – Don’t just decide to “run more” or “eat better”. There’s nothing measureable to let you know that you’ve actually accomplished something. Be specific, Run a 5k in 14 weeks, cut eating out to 2x per week, etc.
3. Assignable – I will run 3 mornings a week on M/W/F, while the kids are in bed, and husband is home. What are you doing to make it happen, and what do you need from other people to help achieve the goal.
4. Realistic – While I’m a fan of “going big”, you need to be honest with yourself about your starting point, your resources, and the time it may take to reasonably accomplish something.
5. Time-related – Just putting your goal out there with no time frame in mind, gives no sense of urgency, or frame within which to breakdown your goal. A goal time, allows you to work backwards, breaking down the steps you need to take to get to the end, successfully.
The Real Deal
Realistically, I’m a big fan of writing my goals or dreams down. Then I can sit and ponder what I would need to do to get there, look up resources that I can use to help me, and set a realistic timeframe for getting there. Then, I focus on the excitement, the journey, and how to make it a fun experience. Motivation comes and goes on a long journey, but setting yourself up to have little successes along the way, and making sure you enjoy the process, can help to reinvigorate and reinforce that original motivation.
A very important aspect of goal setting, is a plan B. Things are going to come up, and things will not always work out the way you planned. If it was easy, we probably would’ve already done it. So understand that things will get thrown off. Injuries happen, illness happens, busy days happen and the unforeseen will always have to be dealt with. Have a backup plan, healthy food in the freezer for busy work days, a quick workout you can do at home if you slept in, etc. And remember that even if you get thrown off, it does not mean that you jump ship on the big picture! This is the number one reason that people drop their goals and go back to what they had before.
Perseverance is the single most
important factor in reaching a
long term goal.
My Goals
So what’re my goals for 2015? I always have a goal of progressing my education, and continuing to stay on top of my field. So, I’d like to take the Heart health through nutrition course at Cornell this year, as well as the master herbalism course (this one takes a few years to complete, so it’s definitely a long term goal)
I also have a goal to run my first ultra this year. I’m in the process of researching different races, so that I can pick my date and work the training plan from there.
And I always have a goal of bettering myself and my relationships. This year, I hope to help my parents move closer, so that my girls will have family to grow up with. Just as importantly, to help my mother who has Parkinson’s(as well as for my father, who is her sole caregiver). As a family, we’ve started to break down the process, and look at realistic timeframes for it to happen. There is so much to do to make this happen, so breaking it down into more manageable, smaller tasks, is the only way something like this could happen. Knowing that the end result will be completely worth it, helps to keep our motivation.
While I’m not a huge fan of the New Years resolution, I am a fan of goal setting. I’m a fan of reflecting on the year past, and looking forward at the possibilities that lie ahead. So here’s to a new year, full of adventure, big dreams, and the hard work to make it happen!
What are your goals for this year? How about just; next week, next month, or 3 months from now?
