Happy (late) New Year! If you've been reading for any length of time, you know that I rarely post on January 1 - while the rest of the world is gearing up for some sort of huge resolution push, I'm sitting back and taking the year in on a less stressful platform - thinking about what my goals are, what I want the year to mean, and how to approach it. I actually started this blog out ten years ago on January 2 - on purpose. Usually I get into the swing of things around then and feel like some of the pressure is off of the big New Year's Day - and apparently, this year, I'm taking that to the extreme. The first week of the year packed its usual gut punch with a few extra knock you down surprises because hey, its 2022. It's been a hell of a week and intro to the new year, but at least I know two things:
1. I survived and;
2. This year will not defeat me (see #1)
With that being said, there are a few things going extremely well nine days into the year, which brings me to the point of this post, and, of course, what we all have on our minds at the beginning of January - goals.
Like everyone else, I have some pretty legit goals for the year, and I've decided to look at them through the lens of the "before" and "after" (again, pretty standard). As I sit here, in my "mid life crisis point", I have to decide what I want to take into the next forty years (I turn 40 in October, or, according to the triathlon world, January 1). I can't complain about the first forty - there have been some pretty high highs, and some pretty low lows of course, but there's one major theme through all of it, and thats mindset. So this year, my whole mantra is - FOCUS.
As in, what are my main goals - what is helping me get there and what is not? What do I need to focus on? What do I need to let go of? What is/is not serving the purpose of my overall goal?
I have a few clear cut goals, that are easy to define and I can see the proverbial "finish line" (It's always easiest to explain this in terms of a race, but, given the name of the blog, would you expect anything else?) These goals are fantastic, because they are somewhat easy to quantify. The big one this year is a long term goal, and I'm in the midst of a blueprint to get me there. As in previous years, I'm taking the bull by the horns with this goal and throwing everything I've got at it. I'm also trying to change it up from the past few years - taking the pieces of what worked in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and letting go of the pieces that did not serve me well. This last part is....tough. It's never easy to let go of shit. Even if its somewhat destructive and does not serve your goal - you form an attachment to what's comfortable and what you know. But...if you go with what you've always done, are you really getting anywhere?
This sits right above my bike in the basement as I toil away in the pain cave...and it's accurate. I know not everyone is a fan of "big scary goals" but for me, it works. Get outside your comfort zone and make it happen.
Goal #2 is an extension of goal #1 but with the shift on the things that are NOT serving me well. What do I need to let go of? What do I need to walk away from? Again, its a comfort thing. While you tend to go with what you know, you get stuck in a zone not only of following a routine that keeps you where you are - but also can be sidetracked by things and people that don't serve to help you grow as a person.
This one is so much tougher for me. While I pride myself on being completely open to new people and experiences, I often don't walk away when I should. Not everything and everyone is perfect all the time, and this year, many situations and relationships are built on the fact that everyone is going through a really tough time. Noted. But, one of my faults is that I sit with something and make excuses for it far after I should have amicably parted ways, and I suffer for it. I'm done with that. 2022 is set to be as drama free as it can possibly be (because, life!).
So, the real question is - when am I going to stop posting ambiguous shit and talk about these goals? All in good time - for a few reasons! First of all, I'm hopeful that some of these ideas are bigger than me - and that we all can start to work toward where we want to be and what makes us happy.
Second - I'm still working on those goals. Some are easier than others to process share - but I promise to keep it real with you all as I go along. Let's get through 2022 together - Happy New Year!
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