Just 10 more days until 2011 is history. Actually part of it is my story so it could be called a herstory. I know the year isn’t over yet, but Jayme comes home on Friday and I plan to spend the last week of the year with my family. So I thought I’d take a look at my goals for 2011 to see how I did.
I have to say that I’m a late comer to goal setting. By nature, I just like to be more spontaneous and fly by the seat of my pants. Unfortunately, that usually just results in holes that expose too much. So this year, I put on big boy pants and set some goals. I actually put down on paper 15 goals in 5 areas: spiritual, financial, physical, intellectual, family, social and career. Gosh, I really did go all type A!
As I look over the goals, I surprised myself at how well I did! I only failed at 3, had partial success with 2 and more (or less) completed the other ten. 67% might not get you an ‘A’ in school but the major leagues pay well for .300 hitters.
Statistics aside, I consider this goal setting thing a success and plan to do it again for 2012. But first I want to celebrate and enjoy the sense of accomplishment. I want to bask in the glory. I’ll be a hero in my own mind. Because it’s important to celebrate wins. But I’ll do more than just celebrate the wins. I’ll pat myself on the back just for trying. I’ll also remember the fun in the process. All that should help get me fired up for what 2012 might bring.
So what am most I pleased about? The two biggies would be finishing Dam to Dam (20k) back in June and starting Izzy, the two-year-old filly, under saddle. Better yet, neither accomplishment resulted in any injuries for me. We’ll score Izzy’s visit to the vet hospital as just one of those things. Plus I am still running. As of today, I have run 469.8 miles this year. For serious runners that number is puny but I’m proud of it. I am most especially proud of the last .4 mile of the Dam to Dam run. That was probably the hardest, longest .4 mile I ran all year!
Most satisfying probably is the sense accomplishment I feel because I took captive my fears when I worked with Izzy this summer. Each day I had to discipline my thoughts and stay alert for what each lesson would bring, instead of thinking about all the negative things that could happen. We did not get as far as in the training process as I anticipated we would but that’s okay. My goal was to get her started. Interestingly, two of my goals regarding horses worked together in helping me find success in this goal. I had not connected the two goals when I put them on paper but one followed and built upon the other. Cool!
Overall, as I look at the goals for 2011, I’m not surprised that I did the best in those areas of my life that I enjoy–like physical fitness and horses. I may have to get more inventive to connect the areas where I struggle to those things I enjoy. But that’s not the subject of this blog.
What’s my take away from goal setting in the year 2011?
- Just do it. I know I accomplished more, even in areas where I failed, than I would have had I not set goals.
- Enjoy the process. I won’t lie and say I enjoyed running most of those miles. But I did enjoy the sense of accomplishment each day as I completed each run.
- I don’t have to do it again. Just because I ran Dam to Dam last year, doesn’t mean I will in 2012.
- I may have to do it again–only different. In those areas where I experienced failure, I need to re-tool those goals and try again. As my favorite horse trainer says, “It will probably get worse before it gets better.”
- It’s all good. Success or failure, both are good teachers. I probably learn the most when I fail. Failure at least means I’m doing something. I just don’t want to make the same mistake over and over again.
- Most of it’s mental. A good attitude will trump just about everything else. And stubbornness ain’t all bad. Those who persevere win.
Sayonara, 2011.