Resolution
A firm decision to do or not do something; the quality of being determined
With the New Year coming, it a known tradition to name something or several things you want to change, aka the New Years Resolution. The one that I think that's probably the most common, start working out or to lose weight. Working in the fitness industry, gym New Years resolutions are always funny to us. The gym is always packed for about a month to month and a half at the beginning of the year and then after that the crowds die off to those that have made the gym their lifestyle or to those truly dedicated to their resolution and are finally ready to make a change.
I remember one of my "resolutions" last year, NO texting and driving! Let's face it, it's a horrible habit of almost the entire country. I only grabbed my phone and texted while at stop lights or in parking lots, while not moving, at first. But again like I said earlier, it was a resolution. This slowly faded back to old habits, maybe after about a month to a month and a half. So those resolutions don't last long. The rest of the things I wanted to do this year, like grow in my relationship with God and get stronger at certain lifts was something I could constantly work on year-round. I wouldn't be a true human being if I didn't say it has had it's challenges. I've had months of a really close relationship with Christ and months where it's anything but. The rest of the thing I wanted I set as goals.
So I am here by no means trying to deter you from making changes at the start of the New Year, I'm offering and alternative
Make Goals!!!
Goal
The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result
The destination of a journey
Goals are something you can set and work on all year long, not give up on when you fail at that resolution. I'll give you two personal examples:
Gaining Strength
I love olympic lifting, specifically the snatch. These seem to be easier for me after years of struggling. Now clean & jerks on the other hand are becoming my nemesis. I haven't made a gain in those since the CrossFit open in March of this year. I struggled for so long with just snatching 75# (pounds), but I got a little closer last year after hitting 108#. The snatch being the most technically difficult lifts of the olympic lifts takes a lot of practice. So people having a goal of lifting their body weight or hitting that is a pretty big accomplishment. I have had this goal if hitting a body weight snatch, one that equals my body weight, ever since I started getting better at them. I was stuck at 49kg/108# for so long! I have done many different drills and complexes, self fixes (I don't have a coach). Without expecting it, I hit 54kg/120# on my snatch one day. The day prior I had hit 53kg and could get under the 54kg but just kept missing it at the bottom. So I decided to go back to the gym the next day and just zone out and 54kg went up nice and easy. You would have thought I would have lifted that weight many times before. That was back in May of this year. So I had reached my goal for that year, so what's next?
Make another goal. After reaching that goal I have the opportunity to set my goal a little higher.
Strengthening My Relationships
Another thing I've always wanted to do is get more involved in church. It's not something that I have voiced a lot, but have always had a longing in my heart. I always wanted to help with VBS (Vacation Bible School) and so this year when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I was super nervous since it was my first year and I was suppose to have another person helping come up with ideas but didn't. I attend church on most Sunday mornings (hard when I'm out of town) and on Monday nights. Since this summer after helping with VBS I've gotten more involved at church and help serve dinner on Wednesday nights. And this is something special to me because my grandma also helps out with dinner on Wednesday nights at our church in Charlotte. This has also helped me get to know more people at church.I have also had many hard times this year in my life where I have wanted to give up, and almost had. But I have kept my head and heart toward the Lord and have read things that I consider a slap in the face letting me know that everything will be okay and to just keep my faith in the Lord. I think with all I have been through this year it has definitely helped me grow in my relationship with God.
I have been known to slack on keeping relationships going with friends after we part ways. Sometimes friends cross our mind. It may be years, months, days, hours from now but they deserve to know that they are being thought about. It's unbelievable that just telling someone that you are have been thinking about them how much it can mean to them. They are put on our minds for a reason. Let them know they aren't forgotten about.
There's been an acronym for years
Specific - My goal is to work on strength training 3 days/week. I want to start drinking 8 glasses of water 3-5 days a week.
Measurable - You're able to track your progress. Did you only get in 8 glasses of water 2 days this week or get your 3-5 days but didn't hit a total of 8 glasses on some of those days? How many days did you get into the gym this week? Can you put in extra time next week for the day you missed the previous week?
Action Oriented/Attainable - planning out how you will achieve your goal. Make plans on how you will go about accomplishing your goal.
Realistic - Did you make a goal that you can truly accomplish this year? Wanting to make an 80# jump in strength on a specific lift would be very hard to do within a year time frame. Or trying to lose over 100# in a year would be difficult as well.
Time bound - Can you accomplish your goal is the time frame you have set up for yourself, whether it be in a couple months or if it's a year-long goal. Do you have a goal of running a half marathon? Are you giving yourself enough time to train for it for someone who barely runs or has never ran before?
That's the great thing about making a goal, if you reach it you can set another one. If not, look at where you could have modified things to have helped you reach that goal, where you went wrong (did you slack off at a certain point, did other life habits get in the way? You can modify it at any point during your journey.
My Goals for 2016
1. Closer relationship with God
2. Blog once a week
3. Only text in the car when parked in lot or at a red light
4. Back squat 215#
5. Snatch 59kg/135# (currently at 56kg/124#)
6. Find a job a love
7. Travel more to places in NC that I've been wanting to go (sliding rock, Lake Lure/Chimney Rock, etc)
8. dL 250#
9. Spend more time with friends when in Charlotte
10. Spend more time with friends at home (text them when I think about them)
11. Get a chalkboard for my apt. to right lists/prayer requests on
12. Not be afraid to tell someone what they mean to me
Another way you can keep your goals in perspective is to write them down and post them somewhere where you can see them everyday!
~God Bless
"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."
