Goal Setting

Goal Setting:

TN morning Treadmill view as I eclipse my 2024 New Years Goal. This post isn't for the purpose of patting myself on the back, or pandering for pats, on hitting 200 miles for the year. (**squirrel notes** We are getting our 5 & 6 year olds into running this year, so pace was a little off... and... let's be honest... I fell off the running wagon on consistency for the first half of the year compared to last year where I was a bit more regimented.)

Alright... Back on track... the purpose of the post is to discuss the power of setting a SMART goal. Every year on New Year's Eve, Emily Harris (my wife... yes, proof I'm a great salesman) and I sit down with our Goals paper. This is the same paper we use every year to jot down goals we wish to accomplish for the next year (Resolutions). In reflection, I have found goals run rampant in my life either stated or internally implied. Whether it's my annual sales figure, a client's benefits cost spend reduction, peer achievements, a family task, or in this case a person running goal... the task will eat at me in the back of my head until completion and blowing past the original intention.

We’re getting there…? August of this year approaches.? I just finish a run with Emily (my wife), and I say, well only 120 miles to go to hit my goal.? Saying it as if this one just isn’t going to happen.? It’s the end of July and I haven’t touched 80 miles yet for the year, so not exactly putting myself in position for success.? Emily turns to me and states the obvious, “The year isn’t over.? You have plenty of time if you put in the effort”.? Well, those are the words I needed to hear to get back on track.? I had told myself that I don’t run when it’s cold, so that means basically I have until mid-October to get my miles in…? an Uphill Battle (pun intended).? I ran through August, September, and found myself in mid-October realizing I’m only 50 miles away from hitting the goal.? Fortunately for running purposes, this was an abnormally warmer November, so I wanted to take advantage and push through as much as I could.? Fast forward to the week of Thanksgiving.? The last day of warm weather and I was able to get within 3.5 miles of 200 for the year.? I didn’t care if I had to crawl on ice, I was at a point where there was no way I would miss this number.? Also, fortunately, I didn’t have to crawl on ice...? I used a treadmill instead (almost as torturous) and here we are today finishing up the goal.?

What’s the point?!? Yes, I feel accomplished for hitting a number that 5 months earlier I had thought already passed me by.? Yes, the old adage of you put your mind to it, it’s amazing what you can accomplish…? but also, the side effects of hitting the goal... Cholesterol, glucose, and waistline are all down, energy, focus, and motivation are all up.? As silly of a goal as it was, it was still something that was stated which helped me focus and gave me something to accomplish.? If we hadn’t completed the exercise at the beginning of the year, no way would I have pushed so hard to get to the finish line (because… well… there would be no finish line to get to...).? Will I hit all of my goals we wrote down at that table?? No, but I definitely have made significant progress on each of those activities while knowing the goal will eventually be reached.?

Again...? I don’t post this personal accomplishment in hopes to receive clapping emojis, and ‘atta boys.? Rather in hopes the success of a goal reaches someone (hopefully on my sales team so I can hit other goals), to perform self-reflection and determine if they remember what they are trying to accomplish, and if they have the correct plan to achieve the accomplishment.?