New Year New Goals
How to set New Year Resolutions that stick!
It’s already a new year, so that means it’s time for new year’s resolutions that we're all going to forget about in a month, right? Well, that’s not how it has to be. Keep reading for tips on how to set realistic, achievable goals that you don’t give up on after a couple of months.
You may have seen the acronym S.M.A.R.T. thrown around do describe goals, but what does that really mean? And how do you apply it to cycling? Simply put, a S.M.A.R.T. goal means that it is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Oriented -- by making sure your goal ticks all 5 of these boxes, you are setting yourself up for success! Below I’ve provided guidelines on how to meet this criteria as well as my own personal S.M.A.R.T. goal.
Specific.
When setting goals, you should be as specific as you can manage, otherwise there is no way to focus your efforts. Rather than thinking that you want to be more knowledgeable about bike maintenance, you can instead choose something specific -- like learning how to fix a flat tire or signing up for our Bike Anatomy & Physiology Class.
You should be able to answer questions like “what exactly do I want to achieve?” or “why is this important to me” if your goal is specific.
Measurable.
There should be a quantifiable result that you can look at to prove you’ve achieved your goal. This could be a set distance that you want to cover such as covering 70 miles every week or a century ride. It could be a time you want to achieve like riding 50 miles in 4 hours or even keeping a pace of 18mph over 20 miles. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds, that’s certainly something you can measure!
You should be able to answer questions like “how far?” or “how fast?” if your goal is measurable.
Achievable.
Knowing if a goal is achievable comes down to knowing yourself and your abilities. You want to stretch what you're capable of currently without going too overboard. If you’ve been commuting to work on your bike once a week, then commuting 2-3 times a week is within the realm of possibility for you.
You should be able to answer questions like “how will I achieve this?” or “how realistic is this?” if your goal is achievable.
Relevant.
If you keep your goals relevant to your lifestyle and values, then reaching those goals becomes more important in your personal life. It is far easier to motivate yourself to care about achieving something that is personally important to you then to cross some arbitrary finish line. Perhaps you have someone who is diabetic in your life, then you might consider signing up for a charity ride like Tour de Cure to support a cause close to your heart. And then you can spend all summer training to cover that distance
You should be able to answer questions like “is this meaningful to me?” or “does this align with my other values?” if your goal is relevant.
Time Oriented.
Set a deadline for your goal to hold yourself accountable. If you don’t have an end date in mind, then you can keep moving the goal post for yourself and get stuck in the rut of saying, “I’ll start tomorrow” to yourself every day. If you want to start bike touring, then maybe you can book a campsite for 4th of July weekend -- that way you have a date on the calendar that you know you need to have all your gear in order by.
You should be able to answer questions like “when?” or “what can I do today?” if your goal is time oriented.
My New Year’s Resolution
My goal for 2022 is to complete the Olympic Distance Triathlon in Chicago this Summer.
Specific.
I want to cross the finish line at this specific event.
Measurable.
I will have to swim .93 miles, bike 24.8 miles, & run 6.2 miles.
Achievable.
I’ve completed several sprint distance triathlons in the past, with proper equipment & training it will be manageable to complete this longer distance.
Relevant.
I love to swim & bike (and I can tolerate running), so this event combines things that I love to do anyway. Plus I already paid the registration fee, so I’ve got a financial stake in this now!
Time Oriented.
The date of the race is Sunday, August 28th, so I’ll have to be ready by then!