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When the New Year arrives many of us think about making changes and undertaking certain challenges.

Our theme for this podcast and year is “Just Go For It.” This is a reflection of what Trevor and I are aiming for in our business and running.

For most goals there will never be that “perfect” time. You have to make the perfect time.

Your goals and challenges for 2015 will be unique to you. But I want to make some suggestions on how to decide on goals and how to carry them through.

Just Go For It! Four Mantras for Attempting Great Things in Your Marathon Training and Life

1. Whatever you are be a good one.

Set goals based on your needs and not simply because someone else is doing it. Do things that are fulfilling for you. There are a million opportunities in the world and many of them may be good things, but not the best thing for you.

Social media presents us with a large variety of running challenges and examples of people doing cool things. In most places there are dozens (if not hundreds) of potential races that you could participate in. That makes it can be hard to narrow your decisions down. That’s why it’s important to have that inner “why” when you’re setting personal goals. That will keep you from being pressured into things you’re not excited about and will keep you going when things gets tough.

For example, I don’t enjoy running 5k’s. Some people love them and that’s great. But if the race isn’t 10k or above I’m not going to bother. On the other hand, you may not enjoy running marathons. That’s fine as well. Just focus on the distance that leaves you feeling happy and challenged. There is no one-size fits all approach to being successful in life or in running.

2. Seek progress, not perfection.

You’ve heard me say this before and it’s something that I strive to live by. None of us are perfect (not a news flash, I know). There are plenty of people who will be faster, run longer, do more races, have lower body fat levels, etc. Believe in your ability to makes your goals reality but realize that there will inevitably be something that tests and challenges you.

You will not run every workout perfectly or eat perfectly, or cross train perfectly, or any number of other things. Yes, it’s important to have a goal, but don’t forget to celebrate the successes along the way.

3. Reframe Everything.

Learn to manage fear and look at failure as a learning experience. One of the main things that holds us back is fear, the “what if?” Fear can be useful in some situations but it can also hold us back from achieving our goals. None of us are immune to fear: fear of stagnation, fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of change. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmoon

There’s that great Eleanor Rossevelt quote, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” It doesn’t mean that we will be successful every time. But it does mean that by trying more things you’ll have more learning opportunities that will be valuable in the long run.

Maybe one fear that holds you back is the times when you’ve given up in the past. But if you get derailed from your goals, don’t beat yourself up. Just refocus and restart immediately. Don’t wait until Monday. There will be times when you get sick and miss several days of training, but that’s not the end of all your progress. There may be times when you push the snooze button one too many times. Simply move the alarm clock across the room and get back on schedule. Life is always going to be a balancing act.

4. Turn “some day” into right now.

Maybe there are some “bucket list” items that you’ve skipped over for several years. 2015 can be the year that you make them a reality. It may be a year when you learn a new skill, learn or improve at a sport, make time for reading good books, focus on more quality family time, learn to meditate, take your career to the next level, start a blog or go back to school. In all reality, we’re not guaranteed time on this earth. It’s up to us to make the most of it right now. Turn your “some day” into right now!

Also Mentioned in This Episode

First Things First by Stephen Covey
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
Beth Bernier – www.elementsofactivity.blogspot.com

Trevor and Angie with Academy Member Beth Bernier