GET THOSE GOALS
When it comes to just about anything in life - including fitness - we all usually have some sense of where we want to be. We see ourselves happy, in love, running 10k in 35 minutes, holding Crow pose - whatever. We know what we want but we tend to get stuck on the road that leads there. That road is paved by goals.
Many people don’t like the idea of goal setting, fearing that it's too calculated, that it puts too much pressure on ourselves. But goals can actually be really liberating - just ask this guy. They provide us with the focus and the framework we need to have a clear vision of what we want to achieve. Running a 35-minute 10k ain't gonna happen from the couch. It might not even happen in your first year of running. But with a plan; steady, measurable goals and a little elbow (knee?) grease, it can happen. Same goes for anything else.
So you mean I actually have to do something?
We’re not even going to dignify that question with an answer – even though we wrote it. What we will do is show you how to set and achieve your goals. You can set measurable, achievable goals in six steps:
1. Spoilers only suck at the movies. When it comes to setting goals, you have to know the ending before you start. Begin with the end in mind and visualise what you want to achieve. Example: "I'd like to run a half marathon".
2. Be specific. “I'd like to run a half marathon” is nice, but let's add some colour to this picture. “I'd like to run the Malibu Half Marathon” is starting to look a little more enticing, no?
3. Best before. Give your goal an expiration. For example: "I'd like to run the Malibu Half Marathon on November 11th, 2012". And now it's a date.
4. Stuart Smalley that sh*t. Use positive, active, affirmative language. "I'd like - "... Nope! "I run the Malibu Half Marathon on November 11th, 2012". Now that's a goal statement if we ever heard one.
5. Chunk it out. With the big goal in mind, it's time to divide and conquer: break it down into measurable chunks. You can’t know if you’re getting closer to your goal if you can’t benchmark it against something. "I will run one extra kilometre per week until I can cover 21km". Measurable progress is tangible progress.
6. Know how toddlers always want something NOW? You haven't changed. Remember those chunks you just outlined? They're designed so you can act on them in the present and enjoy some wins in the short term. Thinking about goals as something that get done in some far-out distant future almost guarantees that they will stay there. Be here. Now. And those kilometres aren't going to run themselves. Time for today's training run!
Living with a sense that you should be headed somewhere but not knowing how to get there is hella depressing. But setting a goal, breaking it down into measurable chunks and approaching it positively turns it into something that, little by little, day by day actually becomes something. And before you know it, it’s November and you’re crossing that finish line by the beach in Malibu. In Crow pose.
Photo credit: Angie Torres on flickr