Goals....

· Finish vs. WR

· SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely

· SWOT analysis: Strength/ Weakness (Internal); Opportunities/ Threats (External)

· The only limits are those in your mind!

· Journey vs. Outcome

After the last blog on cultivating a positive mindset before moving forward any further in the journey of life I want to dive into the depths of Goals. Athletic goals can be as varied as walking to your mailbox, or finishing your first 5k to setting a World Record, winning a Gold medal in the Olympics, or recording an FKN (Fastest Known Time) at some monumentally insane race.

But how you set-up said goal will largely impact both your ability to achieve your goal, as well as, the time in which you’re able to achieve it. There are two main formulas I use to help me break down and prepare my goals.

The first is to create a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Specific- Clearly defining your goal helps keep you accountable to its accomplishment, and remember, this is YOUR goal. Measurable- saying that you want to “become a better runner” isn’t measurable. A better way to define this goal would be “I want to PR in my next 13.1” or “I would like to run my next 5K at the same time as last year only with less perceived effort”. The first can be measured with time. The latter is a little more difficult to measure but if you’ve been training and have a better feel for your body then this becomes attainable. Achievable- becoming the first person to run around the Moon would be a pretty amazing accomplishment. But let’s face it, it’s most likely not going to happen! The technology and equipment just don’t exist. Realistic- I would love win the Ironman World Championships next year! But with my current level of fitness and knowledge of many Pro Ironman Triathletes I don’t believe this is a credible goal. This is not the same as staying within your comfort zone. I believe some of the best goals lay within pushing yourself outside your comfort zone and allowing yourself to grow. But I also believe in setting yourself up for success. Find that balance and your journey will flourish with growth opportunities. Timely- this part of setting up a goal often needs to be adjusted. And this is where setting up goals within a goal often comes into play. Case in point, if your ultimate goal is to finish your first Ironman triathlon in 2020, you will create several micro goals as you and your coach develop a training plan that fits into your life and sets you up for success. But what happens if you get sick, there’s a major change at work, etc. that takes up a significant amount of time? Do you need to adjust your timeframe within the year? Do you choose another race in 2021? Or possibly, during your initial training and prep you realize that your endurance and fitness is greater than expected. Instead of waiting till the end of the year to race you choose a destination race in late summer/ early fall which allows your dream of finishing an Ironman to culminate along with a long awaited iconic beach vacation…. Just throwing that out there ;)

The second formula I use when thinking about goals is the SWOT analysis. SWOT deals with both internal and external variances that you can use when looking at which race is best for you. If you’re not looking to dive too deep into different races, like when you’ve already decided on the time and location of the race, then the SWOT analysis will help you and your coach look into how best to train you for that specific event. SWOT stands for Strength/ Weakness which are internal elements which you can define based on your fitness and comfortability , as well as Opportunities/ Threats, which are external components that you can prepare for.

No matter where you are starting at within this journey I always dare athletes to shoot for the stars!! Why invest the time and energy into something if it’s not going to provide you some physical, mental, and emotional satisfaction? I truly want every athlete I work with to feel that feeling of cheer, bliss, and elation as they cross their finish line. I want the discomfort and determination to mean something special to that individual. This is where the journey vs. the outcome comes into play… because if you put in the time and the energy to train yourself to the best of your ability, then when all the grit and grace becomes your past, if it doesn’t work out there will never be any doubt that the pleasure was worth all the pain!! And so you start on your next goal….