Looking Back, and Looking Forward

So, I was going to write an article this week about how you might want to give yourself a break this holiday season… Eat more, sleep more, and train less.  Then I ran across this article and it covered almost exactly what I wanted to say.  The only thing I’d want to add to this article is the thought that a cheat with gluten is always a bigger deal than a cheat with alcohol or sugar.  This is an even bigger issue if you have been strictly GF for a while.  Cheating with sugar or alcohol may have a negative effect on your metabolism in the short term (hours), but cheating with gluten can have a negative effect on gut-health for days.  Consider that as you navigate this holiday season…

Since Tommy Wood already wrote my article, I will change it up a little and write about goal-setting.  Now, I’m not one for making New Year’s Resolutions, but I do believe that goal-setting should be at the heart of self-improvement efforts.  Setting new goals can be done any time, but the end of the year offers us a great opportunity to look back at what we’ve done this year, and think about where we’re going next year.  Below are my thoughts on that process…

The first step in the end-of-year goal setting process should be reflection, and in fact even if you don’t end up setting any goals I would encourage you to do this piece of the process.  Take some time to sit down and honestly consider what you’ve done this year for your health.  Jot down some notes, and if you’re working with a coach (of any kind) consider reviewing these notes with your coach.  You certainly had successes and failures this year, so make notes on each of them.  This is a great opportunity to again (hopefully again!) celebrate the successes of 2013.  If there’s one entry in the success column, you need to pat yourself on the back.  Don’t dwell on the failures of the past year, but don’t gloss over them either.  Celebrate success, and learn from failure!  That’s how we become a better version of our self.

Now that you’ve taken some time to reflect, you need to consider where you’re headed next.  This is a great time to involve a coach if you have one.  At this point in the process I recommend to think about this conceptually (big picture), instead of getting bogged down in the details.  Consider what’s motivating you, and what you’re actually after.  As I alluded to in my last blog, we should be looking for motivation that’s deeper than “I hate my body right now”, or “I really want a flat tummy”.  Consider the “5 Why’s” game if you’re still having problems finding deeper meaning in your pursuit of health.  The “5 Why’s” game might go something like this:

• I really want to get a flat tummy before my trip to Mexico

1. Why do you want to get a flat tummy before your trip?
• So I can be comfortable on the beach.
2. Why do you need a flat tummy to be comfortable on the beach?
• Because I want to feel comfortable wearing a swimsuit.
3. Why does your tummy need to be flat for you to feel comfortable in a swimsuit?
• Because I’m too embarrassed to wear a swimsuit looking this way
4. Why are you embarrassed to wear a swimsuit looking this way?
• Because I look gross.  I hate my body!
5. Why do you hate your body?

I’d rather see the game going something like this:

• I really want to lose some weight next year

1. Why do you want to lose weight?
• So I can get closer to a healthier weight
2. Why do you want to be at a healthier weight?
• So that I can feel better and live longer.
3. Why do you want to feel better and live longer?
• Because I deserve to have a long healthy life!

I don’t normally like aesthetic goals, but in this case I think it’s at least coming from a deeper place.  If you’re still having conversations like the first one, then you need to do some more work on finding that deeper meaning.

With that deeper meaning fresh in your mind it’s time to think about some goals that drive you towards that deeper meaning.  Now we’re going to begin moving towards the details, but we’re going to work our way there with the big picture at the forefront of our mind.  All of your goals should be “contained” underneath the umbrella created by the deeper meaning.  That is to say that you should easily be able to see how each and every goal gets your closer to your deeper meaning.  Writing a goal that doesn’t connect to the bigger picture is just spinning your wheels.  The logic goes like this:

Specific Goal>Desired Outcome>Deeper Meaning

Your specific goal should drive towards a desired outcome the directly moves you closer to your deeper meaning.  Maybe something like this:

Lose 20 pounds>Improved Blood-work>Long Healthy Life

As you move forward into the details of goals setting, try to write goals that are S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely).  I think the last three pieces of the acronym are pretty self-explanatory, but just doing the first two (specific, and measurable) can make a world of difference in goal setting.  Writing goals that are specific and measureable means you actually know if you achieve them!  Also, consider writing some smaller goals and some you can knock off early in the year, as well as some that are bigger and/or might take most (or all) of the year.  Having some successes early in the year can help you build momentum towards reaching those bigger goals later on.

Lastly, consider writing a performance based goal if you haven’t before.  Moving beyond aesthetic goals can be one of the most liberating things you can do for yourself.  Say you want to get healthy and strong so you’ll age better, and have the energy to be a part of your grandchildren’s lives when that time comes.  Well, maybe you set a goal to deadlift your bodyweight, and do one chin-up.  Both of those are very specific and measurable, and combine together they are an excellent way to measure total body strength.  Working back towards your umbrella (healthy and strong to age better), we can obviously see how improving our total body strength connects to our deeper meaning.  What may be less obvious is that to achieve this goal you’re going to have to improve your strength to bodyweight ratio, which means that you may need to lose some weight to make it happen, and to do that you’re going to have to make better choices about what you eat.  So, instead of writing a goal of losing weight or to eat healthier, you wrote a goal that accomplishes both things while driving towards your deeper meaning and giving you something specific and measurable to work towards.  This is an example of how chasing performance goals often helps you achieve the aesthetic goals almost on accident.

So, your homework is to take some time before the end of the year to reflect on 2013, and establish your umbrella (deeper meaning).  Once that’s done, it’s time to sit down and write some goals for 2014.  When you’re done with your homework, drop me a note and let me know how it went.  I don’t want to know your goals, but I’d love to hear how the process went for you.