On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!

A goal is an end toward which you direct specific effort.

Why are goals important?
  1.  They establish the direction of your activity.
  2.  They identify your intended results.
  3.  They challenge growth.
  4.  They build confidence and reduce stress.
  5.  They force specific behavior.

I’m a big believer in goals. I’m always trying to better myself both personally and professionally. I do this by constantly challenging myself with new goals. As most of you know, I had my second son in June of this year. Like most women, one of my first goals after having the baby was to lose the baby weight. I set a goal to be back into all my work clothes by the time I went back to work (12 weeks after the baby was born). I shared this goal with my husband and friends, put it on my bathroom mirror and started my program.

The three elements of effective goals:
  1. An accomplishment to be achieved. 
  2. A measurable outcome.
  3. A specific date and time.

Goals are created three times:
  1. As a mental picture.
  2. When you write them down.
  3. When you take action.

The three parts of goal execution:
  1. What is the goal? Exactly, what do you desire?
  2. Why you want to achieve the goal?  What is your emotional commitment?
  3. How are you going to achieve the goal?  What is your strategy to achieve the goal?

I lost most of the weight fast, but the last five pounds were a struggle. I was doing everything to try to reach my goal. I was eating right, working out, etc. and the weight just wouldn’t drop. A good friend told me she lost all her weight when she started running. I thought about running and cringed at the idea. I hate running. I used to tell people, “I only run if I’m being chased”. But nothing else was working and I was destined to meet my goal.  So I thought, why not, if it gets me to my goal I’ll give it a whirl. I started running and started to notice a difference. A week later I met with the same friend and told her of my success. She challenged me to do Abby’s Run with her on October 11th. With the birth of my second son, Abby’s story inspired me even more so I decided to set a secondary goal of running a 5k. (www.abbysrun.com)

Every time I lace up the shoes I dread the run. The strange thing is I have a recurring dream I can run for miles. In real life it’s quite different as I want to quit 2 minutes into the run. Somehow, after about 15 minutes the run gets easier and then around 25 it gets even easier. When I first started running I could only do a few minutes. Slowly I’ve worked my way up to over 30 minutes.

I’m s.l.o.w. I’m the tortoise for sure. But just like the fable, my steadiness paid off. I’m proud to say, I was back in all my clothes when I returned to work. However, they just don’t fit the same. So I didn’t feel like I had truly accomplished my goal. Another friend told me that it wasn’t just running, but also Pilates that helped her bounce back after her third child. So I added another layer to my goal. I took up Pilates. I’m working with Angela Sebek at Pilates Reformed in Overland Park, KS (www.pilatesreformed.com). I highly recommend her to anyone who’s considering Pilates.

Goals are never easy – if they were they wouldn’t need to be goals. Many times one goal will lead to multiple other goals. It may take several mini-goals to reach your big desired goal. Never lose sight of what it is you TRULY want. I believe anyone can accomplish anything they set out to do. Nothing is impossible. Goals and a positive attitude are the two keys to success in life. Set stretch goals for yourself, challenge yourself to do more than you imagined and watch how much you’ll achieve!

The four secrets to goal achievement:
1. Read them every day. 
2. Post your goals where you can see them regularly.
3. Share your goals with people that will support your achievement.
4. Review them regularly.

I’d love to hear from any other runners or Pilates people out there. Who knows, maybe I’ll keep training for a half marathon…