…Goalsetting

It’s no secret to those who know me that I work towards goals. Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, 5 year goals, overarching life goals…I love to plan where I’m going and how I’m going to get there.

I even use goal setting to give my life balance. If it wasn’t for signing up for (at least) a yearly half-marathon race I would probably almost never get outside to run or walk on the trails near my home – an activity that never fails to bring me peace and joy. But to drop everything else and do it for the sheer selfish pleasure of it? Fuggedabout it. Too many other “duties” on my schedule competing for my time.

So let me commit to a goal – to be in good enough shape to be able to go the distance without injury and cross the finish line upright and smiling on a specific date – and I can now make it a priority to get outside and enjoy myself, no matter the weather. Because my half-marathon training plan is necessary for me to achieve my goal.

A nice side effect of all this planning and goal setting is that when I have a sudden change in plans (hey, life happens) or need to just veg-out instead, it’s usually no problem. It seems counterintuitive, but for me goal-setting allows for  more flexibility and adaptability in my life, not less. If something comes up, I can quickly rejig the schedule or make the decision to forgo the planned activity altogether. Without guilt. Because I know where I am going and feel in control of my life. Prioritizing becomes much easier when I am working towards goals.

A few short-term goals I am currently working towards:

Niagara Falls Womens Half Marathon (June 7) – Training started in early February so I’m training to walk this one. (Not a fan of winter running!). Three walks per week of increasing distance.

Increase flexibility – 20 minutes of yoga at least 2X per week. Nice counterbalance to all the fast-walking I have committed to. Currently I am but a shadow of my formerly bend-y self. The goal is to be able to complete one of my yoga DVD workouts with the same form and “range” as the instructor. Like I used to be able to.

Manly-Man Pushup Plan – Started last week. Six weeks of thrice-weekly very short workouts until I can perform a set of 10 from-the-toes pushups in perfect form.

Blogging A-Z Challenge (of course!) – just what I need to get me back to blogging. Another activity I love to do, but so rarely give myself time to do it. Sigh.

What goals are you currently working towards?

Tell all! I’m always for looking to be inspired to add new goals to my life.

The WB