Some Notes About Goal-Setting

Hello friends!
We've made it to 2025. And although some factors of life are feeling bleak, I feel it's important to hold some hopes and dreams close.

   I'll be honest. New Years vibes are some of my favorite, compared to other holidays. There's something sweet about collective reflection and motivation, even if it's just a spur of the moment thing. I think my main qualm is the all-or-nothing mentality that wears down some folks' resolutions. So for today's post, I'm wanting to chat about some factors of goal-setting that I find especially helpful. That's from both personal experience, advice from wise people, and topics I'm actively learning in my Wellness Coach course with NASM.

Creating a Realistic and Manageable Goal

   When I say realistic, I mean something attainable and sustainable. Going too quick out the gate seems to be a theme around the New Year, and it's where lots of people find shortcomings and perhaps give up on their goal. But I think sitting and reflecting on your successes and failures are super important when laying the foundation of your goals. Recognize what your struggles have been in previous years, but prioritize where your strengths are, and use those strengths to establish where you can successfully move towards positive change.

   For long-term goals, set measurable short-term goals. Like if you're giving yourself 12 months to marathon prep, map out how long each month's longest run will be leading up to that point (that's what I did for each month last year). It's a way to visibly see your progress and continue garnering confidence along each step towards that long-term goal. This literally helps us appreciate the beauty in the journey and helps maintain our genuine interest in our goal. Having that interest is what will keep us coming back.

​   I also mention the importance of realistic and sustainable goals because, in everyone's lives, there are going to be various obstacles that may be out of our control. Like trying to schedule training around a 40+ hour work week, or having to tend to more family members than just yourself, or maybe trying to recover from an injury, etc. Having to navigate around these uncontrollable factors requires some adjustments to the routine. But, once a solid routine is established, the likelihood of consistency and sustainability in the new habits are likely to stick. Something super helpful I heard from Cassia's podcast, 9Lives, recently was that, because her weeks are never a static schedule, she pre-plans her workouts. She'll acknowledge when meetings or functions are, then jot down what times around those calendar events she can get in some movement or when to schedule rest days.

   This concept Cassia mentioned inspired a section of a challenge I created, the 60Mindful challenge, where we pre-plan 7 days into the future on what our workouts or rest days may be, plus pre-planning meals for the following day. I'm on day 21 of 60Mindful, and so far it's helped draw attention to where my own shortcomings are with nutrition, plus helps me plan and revise my plan for upcoming workouts (i.e. when I got sick and had to get creative on where my movement would be). Even if your schedule fluctuates, pre-writing and editing your schedule to fit in movement or rest will help you feel more inclined to follow through and properly prepare and attend the scheduled workouts. Once they're on the calendar, they're thought of as an appointment and there's less inclination to bail. And yes, things happen from time to time that may impact your ability to have your workout, but understand that humans aren't necessarily meant to be overly regimented. Have fun and enjoy the messiness life can bring, and celebrate any achievement you can!

​Categorizing and Visualizing

   Something I did in late spring last year (because I got gifted a book around that time) was I wrote out different categories of goals. Not all of them were measurable, necessarily, but it was cool to revisit them at the end of the year and see how many I was able to mark off. I referenced the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. I really appreciate how she organized these dreams, sectioned in categories like Career & Work, Money, Relationships, Health & Body, and Material Goods. Even if you're not looking at this every day, it gives a baseline of things that are important to you. This can help set the stage for what behaviors you can alter in your day-to-day to slowly make these dreams come true. Rhonda's book also centers around the magic of celebrating gratitude, even in the littlest moments in life. Especially in my most anxious of days, when I have to spend a bit more time searching for blissful things, documenting moments of gratitude helps pull me back to earth and dwell a bit less.

   Also when it comes to acknowledging your goals and values, it's super helpful to make a vision board. I actually planned out a vision board night with some gal pals of mine in run group. We printed out photos and all brought substrates to build our boards on, all while carb-loading and enjoying cannoli dip. Not only is it fun to share your hopes and dreams with some buddies, but it also stirs up more excitement and hope in the coming year. Some of the girlies in the group did more specific goals on their boards, and I went for more of a manifestation vibe. The collage photos you're seeing in this post are included on my vision board, actually. But mine is something I want to wake up to every morning, feel excited about the colors and textures, and see imagery of whole foods and various exciting workouts to get me feeling amped for the day. Feeling mindful at the beginning of the day tends to have a positive pattern of behavior throughout the remainder of the day. It's like when I hit the gym early in the morning, or when people say to make your bed first thing so you're already checked something off the list. Having your goals in mind, and being intentional, are super helpful ways to maintain that excitement and positive behavioral pattern for your goals.

A Goal-Setting Checklist to Remember

   I made a reel on my fitness account to remind people, as we entered the new year, to keep three essential things in mind when creating resolutions. And remember, resolutions and goals don't need to start on January 1st, or on a Monday, etc. They can start any day. So as you go through the motions and see something in yourself you'd like to improve on, keep these three things in mind.

1. Focus on What You CAN Control
Goals should reflect you, and behavioral change within yourself is the way to make improvements. If your goal isn't something in your control, there's no measurable way to ensure you're making progress, and you'll lose value in that goal. We can hope to win a marathon lottery or get a raise at work, for example, but if we can't actually control the outcome (besides doing our best at running or working), we'll risk feeling burnout. Find a goal that is measurable, that has a journey and steps to get there, where you can take action to get to that place. It makes life worth living, and a goal actually achievable.
What's a small change you can make today that can benefit you overtime?

2. Avoid The All-Or-Nothing Mentality
Like I mentioned earlier, the all-or-nothing mentality crushes peoples resolutions more times than not. Things like 75Hard are possible, but with the daunting risk of failure and the unsustainable quick changes to your life, it's not often achieved. I've tried to do the research and I'm seeing that anywhere from 90-97% of people don't complete the challenge. And major kudos to those I've seen complete it, like Jennifer Madison on YouTube (she's given me some major inspiration on documenting water intake and keeping meals simple to be sustainable).  But for those who don't complete the challenge, their self belief might lower. We have to accept that we're humans, and we should normalize failing. Because in the end, we're going to fail at something, and it's can be used as such an incredible learning tool. That's why I mentioned earlier to acknowledge areas in the past you might've struggled, but also focus on where your strengths are. Not everyone will have the same levels of self-efficacy (the trust in oneself that they have the capability to make desired changes in their life). So proving to yourself that you have setbacks, but then can step forward, is huge in progressing in the journey. Failure is inevitable and can help us become stronger. Don't let one setback shatter your entire goal.

3. Celebrate EVERY Win
Celebrating each achievement in your journey keeps life exciting, keeps the momentum flowing, and prevents the risk of burnout. And these don't even need to be the measurable wins, either. When I was training for my marathon goal, I didn't only celebrate hitting my monthly long runs. But rather, I'd celebrate other factors like exploring new tech that helped in certain areas, figuring out which nutrition worked with me while I was running, and learning more to count on my heartrate on hot days instead of my speed. Sometimes the win is just showing up! Any move forward you're taking is worth a celebration.
Even the smallest steps will help you reach your large-scale goals.

Mindfulness

   I did pre-plan the other sections of this post as topics I wanted to discuss, but I also am wanting to discuss that 60Mindful challenge I mentioned earlier, and share why I created it and what benefits I'm seeing as I'm entering my third week of consecutive documentation and mindfulness.

   I made this challenge earlier in January on a whim. I snagged a new notebook, saw a video of YouTuber wheresbeccaat (love her vibe) prepping for 75Hard, and I was inspired to make alterations in my own life, based more closely to my goals and what I found attainable. Plus I had just heard Cassia on 9Lives talking about pre-writing her schedule for workouts while I was out on my trail run, so I was overcome will inspiration from two beautiful and positive influences of mine. So I was writing down my categorized goals into my new notebook, one that's small enough to fit in my purse), and thought--why not create a prompt for myself to better determine where my shortcomings are and where I can improve my schedule? Thus I created the prompt for 60Mindful. I made it into a challenge to see if this could help more folks than just myself, and also to counteract some of the negative feelings towards 75Hard type of challenges. The goal: to reconnect and revitalize yourself.

   The gist is, per my Instagram, is: "Sometimes the pressure of an all-or-nothing challenge or goal can feel unsustainable, so I wanted to create a (minimum) 60 day challenge. There’s no failing, and no need to start over. It’s just something to help practice mindfulness and intention in your daily habits. No start date. 60 days minimum are encouraged. Document in a notebook, on social media (with #60mindful), or check out some of the downloadable templates I’ve got in my store (link in bio). Whatever method feels most manageable to you!

• Pre-Plan Every Meal: creating a plan lessens the chance of overeating or overpaying for carry-out. You’re more likely to fuel your body with healthier foods!
• Schedule Workouts: whether your schedule is the same every week or varies, having a workout schedule written on paper helps ensure you’ve dedicated time for it. You’ll be more likely to stick to it.
• Substitute Desserts: I’m a major sweet tooth, so I’d love to find better substitutes for the typical ice cream. By eating less sugar, this should help keep your energy more solid.
• Document Gratitude Daily: this can be in a notebook, notes app, social media, anywhere. Be mindful of positive parts of your day. List at least 3!
• Avoid alcohol: since we’re trying to fuel our bodies and minds with good things
• Monitor Money: with less takeout and more preparation, planning and keeping an eye on the funds can help alleviate stress. This one is personal for me.

   Again, there is no failing. If you forget to document a day, keep moving forward. We’re human, setbacks are inevitable. Don’t let it stop you from proceeding."

​   And this challenge has actually helped me. It helped me see how many times I was spontaneously getting takeout instead of prepping something healthier ahead of time. It helped me reconfigure my schedule when uncontrollable factors in life were impacting my workout timeframes. I'm finally moving the needle on the scale again, after gaining some weight around the holidays, and it's just fascinating to see how much money I'm able to save, how much better I feel physically, and how much more likely I am to pre-prep food and workouts and truly commit to the schedule. I was feeling gross and bloaty for a few months there, and just within this challenge I'm feeling more like myself. I'm feeling more consistent, I'm feeling more in control. It's actually helping so much, without even being too specific of a challenge. It's just about being mindful of your strengths and weaknesses, and taking action.  Change isn't about perfection, but it is about consistency. And if you can pinpoint inconsistencies, you might be on to something.

   I’m currently reading Choose Strong by Sally McRae. I’m still pretty early in the book, but in chapter 3 she discusses self-belief and validation from others.

“...I empathize with those who struggle with how to believe in themselves. It's not uncommon for me to speak with college athletes, everyday career folk, parents, and so on who... ask me to weigh in on their big goal. I'm always amazed at how many people want someone else to believe in them,
to affirm that their goal or dream isn't too far out of reach. But I'm no different from you, and I have no power to dictate whether or not you can do something. But I will say, many people don't believe in themselves because of past pain, and whether that pain is from a dysfunctional family, a previous failure, loss, or rejection, it can creep into our minds and rob us of self-belief. I know people who have lived so much of their life with low-self esteem and a lack of self-belief that they can't pinpoint where it came from. It's normalized how they live and approach every decision in life.” 
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   This section resonated with me. The more you garner confidence through celebrating your achievements and the more you give yourself permission to risk failure yet get back up and keep moving forward; these will help you gain confidence to continue chipping away at your goal. Enjoy that journey, give yourself that permission, normalize the risk of mishaps, and keep yourself focused on your values. Reconnect with yourself, respect yourself, and feel revitalized in your capabilities and self worth. Because you can do it. Perfectionism doesn't matter. Meet yourself where you're at and keep moving forward.

Thank you guys so much for reading! Let me know what goals you've got on your 2025 list? I'd love to hear them.

Keep on grinning!

​Lydia