New Year Solutions (page 2 of 2)

The smaller goals lead to bigger ones. When I decided to run an 80-kilometer race, I broke down my goal into smaller steps. The first was a 5-kilometer race, followed by a 10K, followed by a half marathon and then a full marathon. Each of these smaller goals is part of the progression to the larger one. If I simply focused on running 80K, I would be overwhelmed. By focusing on the next milestone instead, I am able to gradually improve my running and work towards the ultimate goal.

5. Be Flexible

This is by far the most important part of achieving your goals. You must be flexible. Too many people tackle their resolutions with an "either/or" attitude - "either I follow my plan 100% or I will give up." This is not the attitude of a winner. Life happens. If your goal is to eat consistently healthy, and you find yourself splurging, don't throw in the towel. Understand that this is part of the process. Focus on being more consistent the following week and realize that if you used to eat junk food all of the time, going a week and then having a "weak moment" is still an improvement.

The same goes with training. I recently injured my iliotibial band (ITB) which prevented me from going on many of my scheduled runs or even completing them. I could have said, "Okay, that's it, I missed my training, it's all over." Instead, I adapted my schedule and set new goals based on recovering from that injury. After a few weeks, I was back on schedule and on target.

One "problem" you may face is setting bigger goals. When I started running again, my original goal was to complete a marathon. After being bitten by the running bug, I decided this wasn't a big enough goal, and set my sights on an ultramarathon instead. Again, it's about being flexible - my "resolutions" at the end of the year may not match those at the beginning, but not because I pushed them aside ... it's often because I've accomplished my goals sooner than expected and made room for new ones!

The New Year is here. You have 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,765 hours, 525,948 minutes, or 31.6 million seconds to make a difference. You can create a list of half-hearted resolutions, or instead set realistic goals that are solutions for your life. The choice is yours to make this the best year of your life. Will you choose to live in the problem, or the solution?