I don't know about you, but over the years my resolutions have turned more into goals I'd like to achieve than true resolutions. Except for last year when we all did the "In / Out" lists... Looking back on my 2023 list, let's just say—old habits die hard. Back to goal-setting we go.
One thing in particular I've been trying to do more lately is breaking problems down into their smallest parts, then assembling them back together to get to the answer. Rather than—you know—throwing an idea down on paper and hoping it'll work out. That strategy did me well on some things, but as life gets busier/more complex, the art of goal-setting feels like it could use just a dab of science.
So, as I set my own running goals for 2024, I attempted to break the problem (of achieving a goal) down into the parts needed to reassemble it into success. Hopefully some of this can be helpful as you look to break your own barriers in the year ahead.
1. Reflect & take stock
Where have I been the past year or two? Where am I at now? How am I feeling? What're my days looking like? My weeks? My year? Starting with a very honest self-assessment to set the stage for the rest of the process.
2. Define personal success
Whenever I ask marathoners how they did in their race, I hear a lot of "I PR'd, but I fell short of my goal." I've been there before—it's a bittersweet feeling. This year, for me personally, time as a goal feels far less important than simply PR'ing. With everything else going on, just running my best race is what resonates with me most deeply. What resonates with you?
3. Create stepping stones, establish principles, find resources
Running my best race in 2024 is a problem to break down in and of itself. Getting there will require hitting a series of incremental milestones, establishing principles that serve as guardrails for staying on track, and finding the resources to help optimize those efforts (hello Bandit Program app). Attempting to take a goal down without those in place feels insurmountable, disorganized, and a bit foolish. What are those stepping stones? What are my principles? What resources are out there?
4. Variety sustains efforts, community supercharges
I get bored quite easily. And if I'm not mistaken, there's a poster somewhere with a misattributed quote that says boredom is the root of all evil. "Evil" in this case being giving up on your goals. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Just ask that Dirty Bird fella. Adding in a variety of hard work, fun work, lazy work, and most importantly—community, will sustain and supercharge my efforts. What does variety look like for you and what is your support/accountability system?
5. Prioritize health & enjoyment
Another set of goal-killers are getting myself injured and falling out of love with the process. The key word here for me is "prioritize", which is strategically not replaced with "optimize." Everyone has a different relationship with their health and enjoyment feels like it's relatively... relative. Some take enjoyment in torturous mental challenges, others—not so much. Whatever it is, prioritizing enjoyment will keep the dream alive (as the Lost one says). What does joy look like for you?
6. Monitor & adjust
Super important to continue to monitor not just progress in a vacuum, but how the process as a whole is working. What adjustments need to be made to keep charting the course? Or does the goal need to adjust? Disassemble the problem again with what you know now. If you're thinking it's time to monitor & adjust, it's probably time to monitor & adjust. The earlier the honesty, the better the outcome.
7. Go back to step two
Defining personal success. With everything in place, pressure test what you wrote. Is this really what matters? What resonates? Would you feel successful knowing you put in the training block worthy of a PR? Most people overestimate what they can do in a year, and underestimate what they can do in a few years. Don't forget that one of the beautiful things about running is how long into life you can improve at it... Love the process.
