Goals

Many years ago Wayne Gretzky was asked why he was such a great scorer. He responded by saying “when I’m on the ice I can barely see the goalie.” When he was asked what he meant by his response, he said, “if you ask a fifty-goal scorer what the goalie looks like he’ll say the goalie is just a blur. A five-goal scorer can tell you the brand name of the pads of every goalie in the league. I’m seeing the goal, he’s seeing the goalie.”

Oftentimes we get so focused on the goalies in our life that, we lose track of the goal. We lose track of what we truly desire, and in doing so we let our goals and dreams slip away. So, what steps can we take to aid us in achieving our goals? Let me suggest the following:

Lock Onto Goals That Excite You
Over the years I have always enjoyed running, and in the past my runs typically consisted of 3 to 4 mile jogs. A little over a year ago, I decided that I wanted to run a 26.2 mile marathon. For me, the idea of running a marathon was an exciting challenge. Once I locked onto the idea of running a marathon, I realized that it was going to take more than just thinking about it, to make it happen.

Break Your Goals Into Smaller Chunks
To help me in reaching my goal I decided to break my goal of running a marathon into smaller chunks. I knew that it would take several months for my body to be properly prepared to run over 26 miles. To keep myself motivated during this lengthy process, I signed up for a couple of shorter races. By committing to run these shorter races, I was able to keep myself motivated during my training.

Clearly Establish the Necessary Steps to Achieve Your Goals
As part of my training, I established specific priorities that I needed to achieve to reach my shorter-term goals. These priorities included buying new running shoes, establishing a training schedule, and signing up for races. The planning process was fun and exciting. As I thought about achieving my main goal, I became more and more excited. Unfortunately, this excitement soon waned as I started the arduous training.

Get Some Cheerleaders
As I trained, there were long runs in the wind and rain. There were days when my body gave up and I just couldn’t finish my planned training runs. There were times when I wanted to give up on my goal. I even started to question my motivation for reaching my goal. Fortunately, I had told some of my closest friends and family that I was going to run a marathon. They encouraged and supported me during those tough days. They told me that they wanted to come to the marathon and watch me run across the finish line. I didn’t want to let them down, so I kept going.

Don’t Give Up
With any major goal, there will undoubtedly be setbacks. During my training, my biggest setbacks were physical injuries. These injuries made me doubt that I could actually achieve my goal. However, instead of giving up, I adjusted. My progress was slowed, but in the end I persevered and achieved my goal.

On April 4, 2009 I completed the Yakima River Canyon Marathon. It is difficult to describe my emotions when I crossed the finish line. It was a mix of joy, relief, and pride. It made all the pain and effort worth it. Reflecting back on this achievement I better understand why tennis great, Arthur Ashe, said that “success is a journey and not a destination.”

I’d love to know your thoughts. tony@repowell.net

Tony

www.repowell.net