Tis the season I guess, but it's about this time every year that many of us start thinking about those New Year's Resolutions, and how no matter what, this time for sure we're going to follow through...and paint the house or build that fence, maybe lose a few pounds, and for some start swimming. Truth of the matter is, most New Year's Resolutions are destined to fail even before they're started for the one simple reason of poor planning. As we all know, the hard part about New Year's resolutions have always been in sticking to them. The problem though, is not with the person giving up too easily. In fact, EVERYONE could be successful in their resolutions if they had only prepared for them properly. A New Year's resolution is nothing more than a GOAL, and when you are making a resolution, you are basically goal-setting. So, once again this year I've included what I hope will be helpful tidbits as we dive into 2010 with our New Year's resolutions in tow....Time to cast away these dust gathering anchors once and for all!
First off, think of all your resolutions from now on as a type of GOAL, with the actual resolution being the final goal of a process that may include numerous other sub-goals. Taking that first step towards achieving your goal is in itself a goal just as important as taking that last step, and may in fact be the most important because it sets the tone and direction for the steps to follow. Here are some guidelines that may help you along the way:
1) WRITE ALL YOUR GOALS DOWN AND BE SPECIFIC! Keep your goals in a place where you can get to them easily, and read them out loud to yourself on a daily basis. Tell yourself exactly what you want!
2) MAKE YOUR GOALS REALISTIC AND CHALLENGING. A goal should NOT be a prison sentence, or beyond your physical or mental capability. At the same time, if you set your goals too low and they're too easy to achieve, the satisfaction of completion will be diluted by its simplicity. But more importantly, your true goal-setting ability will never be truly realized...nor will your goal achieving potential!
3) SET GOALS FREQUENTLY (NOT just as a New Year's resolution).
4) BREAK LARGER OR MORE DIFFICULT GOALS UP INTO PARTS, OR MILESTONES, AND SIMPLIFY WHENEVER POSSIBLE. Nothing more frustrating and disheartening than becoming overwhelmed or confused over your own goals.
5) AVOID SETTING TIME FRAMES AND COMPLETION DATES. Unless a goal is time-dependent (i.e. training for a particular event), don't worry about how long it takes to complete your final objective. Rather, set a pace for yourself that is regulated by how you feel about the progress being made.
6) TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR GOALS AND SHARE THE EXPERIENCE. The best way to become comfortable doing this kind of thing is to get involved with others in challenging activities.
7) REWARD YOURSELF FOR THE PROGRESS, BUT SELECT YOUR REWARDS CAREFULLY. The reward for accomplishing your end goal will be obvious, but don't forget to reward yourself for the progress made along the way. Make your "rewards" positive incentives to continue, but do not defeat the purpose of the goal by rewarding yourself something that may be detrimental to its progress.
8) EFFORT IS WHAT FUNDAMENTALLY DEFINES A GOAL'S PROGRESS - NOT TANGIBLE RESULTS OR REWARDS. In other words, the "process" used in achieving a goal is just as important (and rewarding) as the goal itself. If the process feels more like a burden, then change the process. Remember, effort is a great way to gain a sense of realization when progressing towards a goal, but it can also be a lesson in futility if the effort made lacks positive incentive.
9) DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES...BUT NOT EXCUSES. Expect to make a few wrong turns along the way, but don't worry about justifying them. Just get back on track and move on.
10) WHENEVER POSSIBLE, TURN A REASONABLE GOAL INTO A LIFESTYLE. For some goals, by the time you have reached the end result, it may already have become a part of your lifestyle (i.e. coming to Master's Swimming workouts =). The point is, successfully reaching a goal is NOT an invitation to resort back to a bad habit.
Lastly, HAVE FUN! Every single goal that you make as a matter of choice should be this way to one extent or another. Also keep in mind that as you begin goal-setting, accept the fact that some goals will be attainable, and some will not. But just because an end result cannot be reached is by no means a reason to accept the notion you should stop trying…the road to achieving ones goal is made up of numerous wonderful experiences, of which, the end result is only a small fraction of that journey.
Have a happy and healthy 2010...see you in the water =)
Channel Island Masters (CIM) is a registered United States Masters Swimming (USMS) club with the primary purpose of providing an enjoyable yet challenging swimming environment to everyone looking to get more out of their swimming experience.
