“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” Pablo Picasso
What are goals all about?
In short simplified terms, goals are something structured to strive towards, for moving forwards in life. No goals means no sense of purpose or direction, just drifting and running a race with no finishing line. Some may say a life without goals is liberating but I like to find meaning in what I do and build resilience.
The WHY behind goals is important and this is often overlooked. My WHAT goal is to run my second half marathon in Benidorm next Saturday with the aim of improving on my first marathon time, hitting the 2hr mark. WHY? I like to challenge myself, I feel great pushing my limits, it boosts my self-confidence, and I love the discipline of sticking to a training plan and getting fitter.
However, life is not linear. I suffered a hamstring injury which put me out of training for two weeks, I have been working very hard on another goal which is to complete my portfolio to a high standard for my Hypnotherapy/NLP Diploma (this became my main priority), I am currently suffering from fatigue due to having difficulties absorbing iron despite a well-balanced diet. It sounds like a string of excuses but as a consequence I’ve had to taper my training significantly.
Reviewing goals and updating
It’s a good idea to check in and review personal goals regularly. Are they still SMART goals? That is, are they realistic, achievable and timely? I could see from the evidence of my training that my goal is not realistic, nor achievable or timely. My endurance is there, but boy, have I slowed down! My hamstring injury twinges means I’m running with shorter strides (many runners are masochists who carry on running despite their injuries!). So I’ve adjusted my goal. Instead I am now looking at finishing the half marathon at just under 2hr 15min (that’s 9min slower than my first). I aim to enjoy it and gain half marathon experience whilst facing the challenge of running in unknown territory.
After all, what is the point in setting yourself up for failure? By reviewing and tweaking your goal, you are looking at a win/win situation whilst still challenging yourself. That’s what I’ve done and it’s still motivating. Realistic goals are a bit of a grey area and may be interpreted as safe and less demanding. However, it’s finding that boundary between a goal that’s big enough to take you out of your comfort zone and push yourself. That’s what I’ll be doing in the half marathon, just not quite as much as I first hoped but enough to push myself through fatigue and running with a twinge in my left leg! And there will be plenty of testing out my self-hypnosis skills!
I have to say the last couple of months have been all about good time management, discipline to keep on track, a positive outlook, being mindful, engaging in self-hypnosis, and importantly, being kind to myself. Please be kind to yourself too and accept that life is not linear but at times a mountain to climb. But when you do reach the top and enjoy the broad clear view, it’s beautiful.
So here’s to the Benidorm Half Marathon, 18.30h on the 29th February, 2020! Then it’s off to Bournemouth again for some hypnosis seminars run by my brilliant tutor, Adam Eason. Looking forward to catching-up with a few colleagues whilst I’m there. 🙂
What’s your personal goals and why?
Alive & Kicking.
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