NicoleThe end of the year, a time when a lot of us evaluate our past year and set goals for the next. While it can be considered arbitrary timing (we can evaluate, assess, and set new goals at any time of the year) it’s a good a time as any!
Here are a few tips when looking back at your year:
- Make a list of what went well in addition to the things you want to improve.
- For the things that went well, make notes on how you made it happen so you can keep doing those things.
- If something didn’t go well, write down what got in the way. For example, was it too big a goal or just not prioritized properly?
Get Set
For setting your new goals, think about the things that really matter. We are inundated with tips on how to get better at this and that. We see the successes of others and feel like we need to do that, too. We fill our schedules with things because we think we have to. 2017 was a year for cutting back, and it is allowing me to succeed in the areas I want to. I realized even though I enjoy things, I don’t have to fill every hour I’m awake with something “productive” in terms of work. Reading a book can be productive, too.
I am of the opinion when setting big goals, we should think about what truly matters to us. We should also think what is reasonably achievable. What can we realistically change, what are we able to prioritize? For example, if you set the goal to eat out less but don’t set aside the time to find recipes you like, make the shopping list, get to the store and cook the meals, the likelihood of achieving that goal diminishes. To make this time, are there things you can give up or change?
I also know we can only change a few habits at a time, and they are more likely to stick if we make small changes over time to get to the eventual goal. I’ve talked about this before – the classic “I’m going to workout everyday starting in the New Year.” If you are going from the couch to the gym 6 days a week, it’s very likely the drastic nature of the habit change makes it unlikely to become your new norm. But if you start out 2-3 days a week with flexibility in the days you go, you are more likely to be successful in making that gym routine a sustainable new habit. Additionally, if we try to change too many things at once, we are also less likely to be successful. We are creatures of habit, so to change our habits, we have to do it one small step at a time.
When you set goals, think about your why as well. Why is this a goal? Why is it important to me? In the endurance world, athletes are always pushing themselves to do more, to go longer. But is that important to you? Maybe running 5ks makes more sense in your life than 50ks. But if it is important, then figure out what it will take to get you there.
Coach Nicole’s Goals
With all that said above, here are my goals for 2018:
- Take care of myself so that I can be in the best shape possible for USAT Age Group National Championships in August. This means:
- Prioritize sleep (which I already do) If you are curious on really knowing why sleep is so important to all humans, read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.
- Include recovery strategies. I’ve already pre-scheduled monthly appointments with my massage therapist and chiropractor. My foam rollers are visible and accessible in the living room and my subscription to YogaVibes.com for convenient yoga is good to go to stream on Chromecast. ( BTW, if you want to try it out, get a 25% off a monthly subscription at YogaVibes! Promo Code: 25offyoga
) It is important to have a good evening routine.
- Stay on top of good fueling. Most of my meals each week will be planned out ahead of time so that good food is ready and available when I need it. I share cooking duties with my boyfriend, and we are on the same page. He understands my goals and I understand his, and we both enjoy great home-cooked meals.
- Stick to my training plan as much as possible, making sure I understand my entire schedule each week so that key workouts fit in with other important meetings and activities.
- Realize there will be misses in all of the above and just let the one-offs be one-offs. If there are consistent misses, I will re-evaluate my systems.
- Enjoy regular quality time with the people that are most important to me.
- Meet (which really means exceed) the goals set for me at my National MS Society job.
- Get Team NEO to a $70,000 team for the 2018 Colorado Bike MS.
That’s it. It’s plenty and will keep me plenty occupied but not overwhelmed. And while I only listed sub-goals for my endurance-related goal, there are sub-goals associated with all of them.
My parting remarks for 2017…be thankful for all you have achieved and be thoughtful and realistic in your goals for 2018. Happy New Year!
Nicole
