'The beginnings of all things are small.' --Cicero
I spent and have been spending a great deal of time focusing on my vision. Yesterday, I verbalized this. The vision may be more than a year. But while it is imperative to look at the much bigger picture, doing so may be completely overwhelming.
So, we need to break the big picture into smaller bites that can be swallowed. Think about eating an elephant. Overwhelming task. But an elephant would be eaten by taking one bite at a time.
This process of breaking down the elephant into smaller bites is something called periodization. A fancy word that simply means breaking down the calendar year into different cycles to accomplish your goals.
What is your goal for 2010? Is it to run a marathon, complete and iron-man, lose 20#, work-out consistently, or to gain better wellness. Whatever your goal, this is a fabulous way to help you accomplish this.
Now ask yourself is this goal REALISTIC? If you desire to complete an iron man but cannot swim, the goal may actually need to be restructured to fit into a four or five year plan instead of the thing to do in 2010. (In 2010, your goal could be to learn to swim).
How much TIME do you have or are you able to commit to this goal? On a weekly basis, how much time will you be able to devote to your goal? Is this time allowance going to permit your activity to be enjoyable or is it going to create anxiety? If you are creating anxiety, you need to reevaluate your TIME allotment and/or your goal.
To help with the time structure, take out a calendar and a blank sheet of paper. Create a 30-day block. At the top of the sheet, write the days of the week AND what you would like to accomplish in the 30-days that will help you achieve your 2010 goal. Before we ask if this is realistic, look at your appointment schedule calendar for the next 30-days. (NO, we are not waiting for 1 January. There is no time like the present. Begin today!)
Write in the boxes of your planning sheet, any commitments that will prevent you from doing activity toward your goal. Include trips, work and family obligations. Now decide which day of the week is your rest day. (Last semester, the week kicked my butt. I took Fridays off, so I could run on Saturday. I needed that imposed rest day to stay healthy and focused). Reflecting on the remaining portion of the 30-days, put a notation in each box that you can do a work-out to contribute to your monthly accomplishment.
Since you can now see the actual time you have to commit to the goal for the month, ask yourself is this REALISTIC? If it is not, change the goal. You have already honestly reflected on the time you have to commit to the goal. Slight changes in the goal will help you keep your focus and permit you to enjoy the activity you have taken on. (Keep in mind monthly obligations change. Each month you can have more or less to do, based on the time you have to work toward your goal).
You now know that you have 2, 6, 10 or more hours per week in this first month to work toward your 2010 goal. That is awesome. Next is the easy part.
Deciding what to do. This might just be the most important. Creating a goal means not only deciding what I want to accomplish, but how I am going to get there. If I have a weight-loss goal for the first 30-days, I know diet and exercise are extremely influential in this.
But some of you might not know where to begin. You might not know what direction to take. That's perfectly ok. In fitness and wellness and sport, coaches and private trainers can assist. The investment is worth it. Everyone needs a coach at some point in their athletic/fitness career. It is better to begin with someone who can assist you in starting in the right direction, than becoming frustrated and actually quitting the pursuit of your goal.
If you are on point and know how to determine what you need to do for the first month to achieve your first milestone in your goal, awesome! You may still wish to speak with a coach at some point in your overall journey, to ensure you are working toward your personal finish line.
Coaches are great!
When you know what you are doing and when you are doing it, write it in your calendar.
My filofax has an am appointment for kettle bell workout in the driveway. Run is optional. (I might do the run, since I have a mandatory run tomorrow and a trip to NYC which could be an all-day affair). When your workouts are scheduled in your day, it is easier to adhere to them. And when they are planned in your work week, it is easier to keep your focus to achieving your goal.
As the month progresses, you are able to make changes in your program based on your accomplishments. You will also be able to start working on your plan for the next month.
Most importantly, remember I am here to help you.
