We are getting towards the end of the year and things are starting to wrap up. Our Jingle All the Way and other Holiday themed races (the ones that are still being held in person) are right around the corner with the Winter season coming soon. As we come around to this time of the year, we start to reflect on the past year whether it is something that we have or haven’t accomplished athletically or something in our daily/personal life.
Based on how things have gone this year, I am pretty damn sure everyone’s plans got thrown out the window around March with the introduction of Covid-19.
Some of you are still trying to hang on to what is left. Some are looking to what has been missed out on. However, I see a growing majority of people looking to a bright future for 2021…leaving this terrible year behind.
Goal Development and the MORE IMPORTANT implementation of the plan you develop based on these goals are a vital step in medicine…including my field of Physical Therapy. Whether we are working towards goals of getting you out of troubles with a joint/muscle/ligament or other ailment restricting you from doing the things you love, goals are what drives you to continue to get to where you want to be.
When beginning your sports planning for next year what most people focus on initially is what races they want to do. They choose them based on location, an added challenge, or even a destination event. Something special in order to put things over the top for the season. The next thing we start to consider is how we are going to be able to attain these goals (I am not talking about the hotels and side trips you schedule out as well). I am talking about the actual training it takes to get to and complete those races...and the times you want to complete those in. Some are satisfied with just finishing...and that's 100% okay. You still need to train and plan in order to get to that completion. Therefore, whether you are going for the #1 spot on the podium or just trying to finish...you need to make sure you are making SMART goals
When I say SMART, it is not in reference to the actual word smart but the pneumonic. A word that comprises other words that hold a much deeper meaning. A guide so to speak of how you can aide yourself in attaining your end year goal. Now these SMART goals can comprise major goals you want to do with each race. However, you can take it as far as weekly, monthly, and even months for every three months of your seasonal training plan (macrocycles, mesocycles, microcycles, etc.). When making your goals for next your...make sure they are SMART!!! Let's see what that entails:
- S – Specific - your goals need to be something tangible. Something you can attain. It needs to be something easy to understand as well so that if someone else sees it, you don't have to explain it.
- M – Measurable - your goals need to have something that can be measured (duh). Stating what you are going to do, how much you are going to do it, and how quickly you are going to achieve this goal is what you would put down
- A – Accountable - it always helps to have someone hold you accountable. Make sure you are sharing your goals. Don't hide them in. By sharing your goals with the world you are putting yourself one step closer to making that goal a reality. Additionally, you can designate a specific someone as an accountability partner. This person can be someone on your team, someone you train with, a family member, or even someone who does not think you can attain your goals. Why would you have someone who wants to attain a goal have an accountability partner that does not want to achieve it??? Because if you make a deal with them that if you DO fail that you will give them something in exchange (i.e., $50). If you set this up, you would do WHATEVER it took to not give them that. You would more than likely succeed in that goal. If you are someone who has trouble sticking to a plan...give this one a try.
- R – Relevant - Make sure that your goals are relevant into what you want to achieve. I mean you are not going to cycle or spin all the time in order to run a marathon in under 2 hours. Right??? Can you include some cycling and spinning as cross training to help mitigate some of the stress pounding the road all of the time with running??? 100%!!! Make sure that your training and the goals associated with it relate back to it in almost every way.
- T – Timely - Make sure that your goals have a time period in which you want to achieve them. Setting a time period make sure that when you are reviewing your training schedule and going from one race to the next that you are staying on track.
If you are able to do all of this, you are more likely to achieve those goals time and time again. Don’t be like the typical New Years Resolutioner, setting something at the beginning of the year but never revisiting what you set out to do.
Make sure you are REVIEWING your SMART goals periodically throughout the year to keep track of where you are and where you want to be. If you need to update and revise them based on injury or things that come up in the year...please do so...IT HAPPENS!!!
ALSO, make sure you are setting smaller goals in between throughout the year that help build you to get to that ultimate goal at the end of 2021 so that you are able to ensure success!!
SO…What goals do you have set for 2021 already??? Are you going big or are you staying small this year? If you don't have anyone and want to make me your accountability partner this year please feel free to send me an email at rberghorn@ascentphysicaltherapyny.com . I would be more than happy to assist in making sure you attain your goals this year.
If you would like to hear me in person go further into this please check out my video on Facebook where I go Live every Tuesday in my Tactical Tuesday segment. Please click the link below to view the video.