When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life”. — Greg Anderson
It would be remiss of me to start a New Year without talking about resolutions. I can hear you all saying, “but I never stick to my resolution!” So lets change it around this year and call them goals. As the lovely quote above says, if you are motivated by something that has deep meaning, then it becomes easier to achieve your goals. I would like to share a story with you about a goal I set last year. I had been toying with the idea of doing another marathon and started half-heartedly searching the web to see what was coming up. The first marathon I ran was in Penang in 2009 in a time of 4.13. I really wanted to run my next one under 4 hours, but knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I equate running a marathon to childbirth, as soon as it was over I swore I would never do another one, but after a few months the agony wears off and you start thinking it wasn’t so bad. (I had three children, so guess I’m just a glutton for punishment).
As I was searching the internet a date jumped out at me, 9th of June, Phuket marathon. The 9th of June is my Mum’s birthday; on the day I was looking it was exactly 9 weeks until the marathon, my Mum would have been turning 69, and she died 9 years ago. While this may seem coincidental, to me it was a sign that I should be running on that day. I signed up on the spot and set about upping my training to cope with the longer distance. Its amazing how focused I became with a set goal and a reason to run. In my mind I was meant to do this run for my Mum and I wasn’t going to let her down. My birthday fell 2 weeks before the marathon and my gorgeous girls surprised me with a running shirt they had printed with “Running for Mum, Phuket marathon 2013” on the back. It was the most thoughtful gift they could have given me and as you can imagine, reduced me to tears. Race day came and I felt fit and ready for the challenge ahead. Every time I felt tired during the race, I would think about my gorgeous Mum and how proud she would be of me, it spurred me on. A couple of times, I did swear at her and wonder why the hell she gave me the sign to do this run, but overall, running for a reason made a huge difference to my mental attitude. I crossed the line in 3.56 and went straight into the arms of my youngest daughter who had just run her first 10km race. We were both very emotional. I felt overwhelmed that I had achieved my goal, and so proud of my daughter for completing her race. The reason for running the Phuket marathon was a very personal one for me, but other options could be to raise money for a charity that is close to your heart, or to have the energy to play a game of footy with your children.
When you are setting your goals, spend some time thinking about the reasons they are important to you. Be specific in what you aim for and make them measurable. Instead of writing something vague such as “I want to lose 5kgs”, you could narrow it down to “I commit to losing 5kgs before the 30th of Feb. I will fit into my favorite dress/ suit for my sisters wedding and feel fantastic”. Keep the image of you in the outfit in your mind as a motivator to get out the door and head to the gym. Writing down your goals is another way to help you stick to them. By putting them on paper in black and white you make them real. Use strong words such as “commit” and “will” to add power to your statement. Similarly, share them with friends and family, talk about what you want to achieve and get them to help you stay committed. Be passionate, focus on what is really important to you and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Wishing you a great year in 2014.