One more. Just one more rep. One more minute. One more sketch. We press against the constraints of our goals, seeking to improve, to go further. If there is anything that is constant in our lives it is that we know how to measure it, even if it on a subconscious level. One more day, one more year. We have devised a way to divide life into smaller and smaller units. To take stock of where we are in the day, in the week, in the year. Time is both our ally and our enemy. Is it any wonder that the best goals have time baked into their bones as well?
Every New Year’s, a million dreams are launched, hopes and aspirations for the year to come. Yet many travelers will get lost along the way unsure of their original destinations. Many more will fall short of the finish line as time slips through their fingers. We do not set resolutions and dreams because they are easy. These journeys are fraught with distractions, unexpected detours, and perilous valleys. They are also full of deep joy, clarity of purpose, and a strengthening of the will. Is it any wonder that so many get lost along the way?
When we set off on our journey we must set off knowing that this will not be easy. We have to desire what it is we are aiming for or it will not happen for us. We are easily distracted, easily swayed. If we are to keep our attention focused on something for an entire year, it will need to be something timely. Something we want to do or achieve right now.
So how do we set timely goals that we can keep? First, we have to set an end goal, then we find ways to measure it. In 2019 I set a lofty goal. I wanted to hike the highest peak on the east coast, Mount Mitchell here in NC. This was in tandem with my desire to get in shape for my surgery and I was bound and determined to go get it done. My friend and I set a date, and set about preparing for the trip! This is the first key to baking time into your goals, start off with the big picture. What do you want? When do you want it? Go get it!
First, we have to set an end goal, then we find ways to measure it
It all sounds easy, right? Set a goal, write it down on your calendar and you’re done! Not so fast hot shot! This is where things can go wrong. Sure we can set big goals like hiking a mountain, but there is still a lot of work still to do. We will not wake up one day and have the weight we wanted to lose or the stamina we wanted to gain magically given to us. If you really want to achieve your goals in 2020 you will want to break them into smaller pieces and track them throughout the year. Where should you be at 6 months? Where will you be at 3 months? I knew how long the hike was, and I knew that I could not hike it at the start of the year. I had to prepare. I had a weekly hike, a distance I wanted to get in. The next month that distance increased. The following month I increased the speed or added weight to my pack. I added more and more until I felt I was ready. I would not wake up stronger, I had to build it up over time. I tracked it in my calendar and measured it against my friend’s progress. In May, I hiked more than 6 miles up the side of a mountain and back down again. It was every bit as hard and challenging as I thought it would be. I would not have been able to accomplish that without tracking my progress.
Every journey is comprised of a thousand smaller steps, each one taking us closer towards the summit. Setting endpoints marks the summit for us. Setting smaller goals and keeping tracking of them is how we will know where we are along the journey towards that summit. Tracking those goals throughout the year. Meeting your milestones. Measuring. Seeking. Adjusting. Being aware of when you are lagging behind the mark and when you are surging ahead. Be specific when you set your goals, so you know where you are going. Then set smaller, measurable goals to tell you where you are along that journey. This is the secret sauce to accomplishing your goals.