It’s that time again where I start looking forward to the future. I want to know what my next big thing is going to be so I can start working on it now! This morning when I was teaching my cycle class I thought about goal setting. My goal for this morning was the teach a successful class! When I finished the class, I felt good because I knew I accomplished my goal.

Goals don’t always have to be a big ta-da in life! There are long-term and short-term goals! Short term goals are the perfect way to help you reach your long-term goals and act as a check up along the way.

Why do I like setting goals?

1. It gives me something to work toward! When I don’t have a goal (which is essentially a plan) I don’t feel right. I’m constantly trying to work toward something better.

2. Short term goals help me tackle the little tasks along the way. It’s no different than making a to-do list every day. Those are the goals you want to accomplish in a day and we just check them off the list.

3. When I reach my goals there is a sense of accomplishment. There’s no greater feeling than knowing you worked hard for something and achieved! I remember setting my first goal of losing 25 pounds. It may have taken me months to get there but when I finally hit it, I was jazzed about my next goal. Which leads me to my next point…

4. Achieving your short-term goals really put those long-term goals in perspective. It makes you want to work harder. It makes you realize that your investment of time is really going to something bigger and greater. It makes me want to work harder and be the best I can possibly be.

When setting goals make sure they are attainable. Don’t set goals that are unrealistic because you want the feeling of success, not failure. At the same time, you don’t want to set goals that are too attainable because if it comes to easily, it won’t be a challenge.

Also, make sure set an end date to your goal, but make sure there is a reasonable amount of time to achieve you goal! And if you don’t achieve your goal in that time frame, it’s fine don’t beat yourself up! Just reevaluate and try again! It’s all a learning experience.

So what’s your goal for the future?

I think I’m going to throw the half Ironman back on the table! I shied away from it because I was having problems with my swimming. If I don’t push past those issues though, I won’t ever get to hear my name crossing the finish line! So my long-term goal is to complete a half Ironman next year. My short-term goal is to tackle at least 2 triathlons this year!