January 1st has come and gone. Now low and be-hold Valentines Day has blown by and its already the middle of February. The question now begs to be asked - how are you doing on those goals you set?
You know which ones I mean....the New Years Resolutions for 2012??? Hmm...lets start from the top and check back in.
Have you done any of the following guidelines mentioned in my new years post ???
#1 - Write down your top 3 goals for 2012.
#2 - Share them with your most trusted friend, relative, spouse, coach, or advisor?
#3 - Re-evaluate every 3 months
#4 - Keep your "eye on the prize"
#5 - Remember the most important thing...the KISS Principle!
K - Keep
I - It
S - Simple
S - Silly
As its close to the 3 month re-evaluation period I figured it was time to actually check-in. Hopefully by now you've come up with some ideas and specific goals on what you'd like to work on and/or accomplish this season. I also hope you've found a friend, family member, or a coach to share these with ideas with. This is an important step as clearly defined goals and commiting to meeting those goals is often the kick-start we need to put changes into action.
Still stumped?? Need ideas? Remember the KISS method and simplify...
Your 2012 goals can be as simple as identifying 1 or 2 key events you'd like to do or set a new PR at, setting new goals for working on a specific weakness, or simply structuring your year differently so you can try new things and continue to grow and get the results you seek. This also means vacations and what I like to call "structured breaks" from training or racing. This allows most of us - age-grouper's or pro's (ie. Chrissy Wellington's recent ' break from training example) to pursue other goals and maintain balance in life as well. Yes, you know - the 'little things' like making time for friends, going on family vacations, getting to your kids soccer practices, or even pursuing career or education goals, etc... Nothing is off the table, so - what is that nagging lingering thing in the back of your mind that you keep shoving off? Is it time ? Hmm - only you and your trusted advisor may know.
Long term results and success -> ie. "Keeping your eye on the prize"
This might actually be the toughest part of meeting said New Year's Resolutions and goals. How often have you heard that health club memberhships sky-rocket in January only to drop back down to "normal attendance" levels by March?? Simply put its a lack of a. clearly defined goals, b. Not commiting to the process and creating accountability (remember that friend or coach?), and c. simply not 'keeping your eye on the prize'. I cannot state enough how important is to 'hang that carrot out there' the dream or vision you have of what you'd like to achieve. Visualization is a very powerful tool and one that can really help you get to where you want to be. Stop dreaming and start 'visualizing' your dream as if it was real. Once you've created this powerful image of what you are trying to acheive the next step is simply to "insert the video tape" in your brain and feed these images to it on a constant basis. You can do this in several meaningful ways that will help you bring your goals back into focus when you start wandering astray and lose site of them.
Here are a few specific tools you can do today that will help you visualize the success you are looking to create:
-Make a vision board.
I first did this in college in my sport psych class and now do it annually with my friends and have a big soup night along with it. Simply grab a stack of all your old magazines, posters, race numbers etc than cut and paste away. All you need is some cardboard or construction paper and a glue stick. Make the image that you desire and than tape it to a place in your bedroom where you will see it everyday. Seems silly but I really think it works. The last one I did I got married and bought my new house in the same year. :)
-Watch your hereos.
I am a triathlon, cycling, and sports channel / video junky. So is my hubby Coach Dave. I can't tell you how many hours of old ironman dvd's, swim meets, cycling events, and ITU live feeds, and pro athlete interviews I've watched over, and over, and over. Its a wealth of inspiration, motivation, and interesting information. I've learned more than I can say just by studying the habits of these folks and visulizing them at their best while I'm swimming, cycling, or running. Try it and you'll see what I mean.
-Listen to the heart beat of the sport.
I also am an admitted podcast, i-tunes, and blog junky. I love to listen to all the latest interviews, read race reports, and endurance news as I pound away at work on the computer or while I'm riding the indoor trainer. I even listen to podcasts while I run. I think there are SO many interesting races, people, and places out there to be excited about and learn from. As the guys at IM talk say - check, check, check it out mate! Its a real shot in the arm and will keep you focused.
So,
that's it for now. If you need more help or have questions or comments please feel free to post. I always love to learn new things from you too! We'll check back in a few months for our next re-assessment time and also will look into the issue of wether or not you are getting "what you want vs. what you really need" from your coach, racing, and training.
enjoy the ride, cheers mate!
jl
