New Year, New Goals – Run BIG in 2022!

“When one door closes, another one opens.” The year’s end is an opportunity to reflect, reset, and start with a clean slate. It might sound cliché, but the new year is truly a time to start again. And while no, we don’t have to wait for a new year to start on new goals, it often seems like the right time to evaluate and plan for something new.

So, no matter what you’re planning for, it is important to write it down. This will help you get a clear sense of direction with your goals and what you hope to achieve. It will also help you stay committed in the new year, even when times get tough, because you’ll have something to look back on and something tangible to work towards.

Another tip when evaluating goals in the new year is to reflect on the previous year. Check in and ask yourself:

• What goals did you accomplish?
• Where did you fall short?
• Are these goals still relevant to you?
• What can you do differently next year to stay on track?
• Are there any NEW goals you have for the upcoming year? When do you want to achieve them by?

As you start to create your list, separate goals into categories such as family, finances, career, personal achievement, RUNNING, etc. It is okay to have multiple goals per category, and some categories may not have any new goals at all! The main thing is, think big! What you aim to achieve in 2022 could also be part of something bigger you have in mind for the long term. For example, if you have a goal of running the Boston Marathon one day, what can you do this year to get one step closer to that big dream? Maybe you need to PR on a half marathon to give yourself the confidence that you can up your marathon speeds. Maybe you need to improve your conversation pace to build overall endurance which will lead to faster times down the line.

Whatever your goals may be, give yourself a timeline of when you’d like to achieve them by, and start thinking about how you can break down that bigger goal into smaller, less intimidating action steps. Plan out what resources you can use throughout the year to get to these goals, as well. For the example mentioned above, could hiring a running coach help? Or maybe signing up for a few races leading up to your half marathon will help you as part of a training plan?

Either way, goal setting doesn’t have to be a cliché. “Failing to plan is planning to fail”, and the most successful people write down their goals daily to stay committed and keep them top of mind. At the end of the year, you don’t have to have completed every single goal on the list to be successful. Instead, look back at what you DID accomplish. You’ll be surprised at how much you can achieve when you have a list, and you chip away at that list every single day throughout the year.

So, here’s to a NEW year! A new opportunity to go for your goals, running-related and otherwise! Take advantage of a chance to start fresh, and if you hit a mid-year slump, keep writing down your goals and stay focused on what you set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. We hope 2022 is your BEST year yet, and we are excited to see you at our first race of the year – Towne Lake Half Marathon / 10K / 5K on March 27, 2022! Have a safe and Happy New Year with your family and friends. See you in 2022!