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Reflect and reset to get you moving the needle forward
Ever feel like you're a hamster on a hamster wheel? Doing all the things going a million miles an hour only to find out you didn't get anywhere? It can be so frustrating feeling like you're putting in so much effort only to not have moved forward in any area.
Why does this happen? Why do we spend so much time doing everything? It leaves us nowhere. A big reason I find people dont get anywhere is because they don't have a goal. We want to get in shape but what does that look like? We want to start eating better but what does that look like? We don't have a specific goal. There are three steps we can take to set and meet our goals. So that brings me to point number one.
Have a specific tangible goal. So what does this actually mean? A specific tangible goal has a very clear ending. So we know exactly where we want to get to so we can set meaningful steps to get there.
For example “ I want to start running more.” This is not a specific goal because what is more? How do you know once you've reached more. How can you tell if you are over stretching yourself or not pushing yourself enough? How can you tell if you're improving if you just say more.
An better example would be your goal is to run a 5k. If you're not running at all right now you can't just start running 5ks. You have to start small and build your way up. You have to set up some sort of a game plan to get to the 5k. If you're already running but lets say a consistent mile or two every once in a while. A 5k is a doable stretch. So you'll have to create a running plan and stick to it. Give yourself a few months to get there and boom. You've improved your running. Yes you are running more but the goal is clearer. You know once you've hit it.
You can use the example of getting stronger. Most people will say “I want to get stronger”. Okay what does that look like? For me, getting stronger this past year was being able to do pull ups. So I had to incorporate that into my workouts. Also stronger can change your physique. I wanted to get stronger and build my shoulders and quads. Because to me that's getting stronger. So I had to make my workouts more strategic. The same should be for the goals you set. If you're setting watered down goals you will probably get watered down results. So set specific goals. Take the extra step to create stepping stone mini goals along the way.
Take time to reflect. Taking time to reflect requires specific stopping points along the way. To reflect and assess the progress you’re making. For me with my business I set larger yearly goals in December for the following year. Then every month and every week I take myself through different reflections and processes to see how I'm doing. Also half way through the year I look at my annual goals and make any necessary changes. For example, my goal was to launch a podcast this year. But my time was spread thin with other things I had come up in my business. I felt I wanted to give more attention to that rather than starting a podcast. So I had to make a shift.
Another example of that is with the goal for me to get stronger this year and be able to do a bodyweight pull up. I'm now at three sets of three woohoo. But about a month ago I noticed my endurance was not great while playing frisbee on the beach. This is because I do not incorporate a lot of endurance or cardiovascular training. ( Outside of walking. ) For me and my lifestyle I did not like that. I had gone hard into strength training so I was losing some endurance. I knew I needed to make a change in my training to not lose my endurance abilities. So I started to incorporate a day of sprints and a day on the stair master at the end of my strength training workouts. To still work that area of my fitness. So it is important to take time to reflect. Not only to see if you're reaching your goals but also to see if you need to make any adjustments.
Every month I reflect on how I'm feeling mentally, spiritually, physically and with my friendships. Because those are important things to monitor and check in on in my life. I also list things I'm doing well and what I can work on. Usually 2-4 things in each category. This helps me to dive into the areas I'm working on and make sure I'm not wasting time or getting somewhere I don't want to go.
The final step is to reset. To reset means to set again or differently. So when you reset you don't have to change anything if everything is going the way you want. Nine times out of ten there's something we want to improve on or change. So it's important to make time to plan on how we can make the shift. Rather than saying “oh I need to workout more.” Let's set a specific goal. Reflect on how it's been going. Then reset and align our goals with our actions. This is so important to make sure we are following through with what our goals are.
So start to accomplish your goals by Setting specific tangible goals. Reflecting on progress periodically. Then resetting yourself to continue making progress. Or to steer yourself into a better direction.
I hope this helps you crush this next season as we head into the holidays. If you feel stuck in how to reach your goals and it's overwhelming to you. Don’t hesitate to book a call and we can strategize on how to get you closer to where you want to be.
