‘Tis the season to wring out the past year and ring in the new year! 

While I regularly set daily, weekly and monthly goals, I do like to take advantage of the hype and freshness of a new calendar year to zoom out and identify my dreams for what I wish the coming year will bring. I like to reflect on the past 365 days and get excited about what’s comes in 2014. You know, things like opportunities to truly blossom, finally crossing off “bucket list” items, becoming Super Me!

I love stumbling across old “to-do” or “wish lists” that I find stuck between pages in my old books and journals. I’m often amazed by the amount of goals I’ve actually achieved on those lists — the majority of those items have come into fruition in some form or another. Which always leaves me with a feeling of, “Wow, this goal setting stuff really does work!” The practice of actually writing out your thoughts and desire is very powerful.

Before we get into swing of 2014 and the magical science behind actually turning our dreams into reality, let’s take this moment to pause and reflect, and most importantly, LEARN from the experiences— both successes and failures — of this past year.

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. — Confucius

So let’s be noble and reflect on 2013. Let’s take our experiences and capitalize on the nuggets of wisdom that are waiting to be extracted from our journals. Since I’m such an inspiration junkie, I’m constantly reading blogs, speaking to psychologists and devouring every book on this subject, so I’ll attempt to distill all the confusing, overwhelming advice, and KISS (Keep It Simple) for y’all. 

Lets take our Journal from 2013 or, if you haven’t kept a journal, think back on your year and extract the juice. What pops up? What brought happiness? What caused stress? What disappointed? Identify the key successes and failures and determine the causes of those experiences.

What did I do well? Who helped me achieve? How was my environment set up?

What “failures” or disappointments did I experience? What did that teach me? How was I responsible? How did my my environment affect this experience? Who else was involved?

i.e. When you lose (as you will most likely do) don’t lose the lesson.

In what ways did I surprise myself—as an athlete, in my career, and in my personal life?

What am I grateful for?

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey

So long 2013...Hello 2014!

Thoughts > Words > Actions

Now its time to suspend our rational minds for a few minutes. Its time to ALLOW ourselves to dream our dream. What’s the little voice inside trying to tell you? What are your desires? If I gave you a magic wand, what would you have, see, do and most importantly feel in 2014? 

Reach for the stars. What kind of person do you want to be (because that’s the person you REALLY are—the rest is just gets in your way)? Tap into your courage and become Super You! 

Can you allow yourself to dream BIG for a little while?

If I had a magic wand, I would have, see, do and feel ______________ in 2014.

List as many races, places, feelings and experiences you can. This is your dream space. Have fun with it! What excites you when you imagine it? What makes you smile when you think about it actually happening? Honor your aspirations. Create your own definition of success. :)

Goals that support your dreams

Dreams are not necessarily goals. Accomplishing dreams can depend on outside factors that are not necessarily in your control. Goals can act like building blocks for your dreams—They give you something tangible to achieve that is within your control. By helping you do your best, reach your potential and achieve personal excellence, they bring true success. :)  

You could do this exercise anytime and any number of times. For starters, we recommend you pick 3 goals to work towards in 3 different areas of your life. i.e. mind, body, soul.

 

What are some of the obstacles/hurdles/ barriers that might stand in your way?
eg. time, knowledge. And how can you get around them?

What are some treats/rewards Ill give myself when I accomplish my goal?
eg. dinner date, new (running) shoes, etc.

How do I currently spend my time? (24hrs in a day, 168 hrs in a week)

(Fill out the bar graph)

How do I want to spend my time? What does my ideal day look like?

Identify when you’ll be working on your goals. Scheduling the time in is essential in order to make it happen.

Turning Pro

Are you ready to make this happen? Do you have a professional state of mind? 

Now it is time for some honest and helpful self-reflection. Are you willing to commit to your vision and your goals? How do you stack up against the Professional mentality? This exercise isn’t supposed to make you feel bad about yourself. Rather, use it to identify areas to improve— this is invaluable self-knowledge!

BONUS: Have someone close to you: a friend, coach, or spouse also give you feedback. We want to account for the “self-serving bias”—we can’t always see our own flaws or shortcomings.  A trustworthy and honest friend can give us the perspective we often need most!

2014 outlook

Now that you’ve set your intentions for 2014, it’s time to begin to schedule in your goals (races, for example) and major life events that you can anticipate happening (i.e. don’t schedule a major family vacation the week before your goal race—you’ll be moody and no fun, and you’ll probably get too tired and under perform). 

Tips for staying on track:

1. Keep your goals visible eg. hang them up, keep them in your journal etc

2. Share your goals with your #SistersInSport or another trust worthy person and get them to ask you about your progress regularly eg. during saturday morning workouts check in with each other

3. Take action! Do at least 1 thing daily (even if it is a tiny thing) that is working towards your goal. (Remember: Rest is part of any goal!) 

4. Most importantly, have fun! Keep it light and enjoyable and you’ll be sure to keep growing and glowing :).