Goals.
Tis’ the season! Goals can be centered on creating or changing habits or finite achievement. Goals can be simple or multi-step, they can be physical, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, social, and beyond. I love a good goal. When defining them, we get to pause and reflect on what impact we want to have, what values we want to share, who we want to present ourselves as. They give us purpose and intention.
In Physical Therapy, our craft is centered around goals, movement goals to be exact! So you would have thought I would have easily met my movement goal I set in the new year, of running a 5K in under 30 minutes. I mean, I had done it before although it had been a minute (note pre-kids...8+ years ago). So, in April I set out to run the Boston 5K while my husband was running the Boston Marathon (we all are in different stages of movement). I ran the 5K in 31:16. I didn’t meet my goal…whomp, whomp. It was an awesome experience no matter, running with people from all over the world. With post-race reflection it was no surprise as to why I didn’t meet my goal - I didn’t have a specific plan in place and I didn’t carve out the time for the work that was needed to actually achieve sub 30. I needed some support and accountability (we all need it!)…cue Christine Turner of CT Sculpt. She coached me to build up my base endurance and then she created a plan specific to my goals, honoring where I was in my movement journey and my lifestyle. Having someone tell me exactly what to do and knowing someone was monitoring my progress was a game changer for me. I was able to run the Santa Run 5K in 29:30 and placed 9th in my age group. Whoop, whoop!
In physical therapy we help you define your movement goals, create a plan, and then achieve your goals as a team through education, coaching, hands on treatment, and providing the tools you need. As we move into the season of goal setting, I thought I would share some guidelines that we use when developing our clients goals. These can help shape any type of goal may it be career driven, spiritual practice, physical, and so on.
Define your goal
Why - what is the why behind your goal, why is this important to you. Is it for fun, career milestone, physical challenge?
When - set a time frame, sometimes this may need to be adjusted based on the education you acquire along the way or the experts who are directing you
Measurable - identify your baseline and what you define as your success point
Identify barriers and problem solve solutions
Time - this is usually the biggest barrier for most. The next step ,planning, we will dive into this more but sometimes getting started is the hardest part. If you are having a hard time getting started, set a timer for 5 minutes and go. Once the timer goes off you will usually find that you have the momentum to keep you going and if not then try again tomorrow!
Accountability - we all need it every now and again. Find your support system - it can be your therapist (physical, mental, etc), a coach who is an expert in the subject of your goal, a friend or loved one, or your online community. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Plan
Steps - what steps are needed to achieve your goal? Write them out.
Evaluate - do you have the tools and education you need to execute the steps you have identified? Do you need some support and accountability?
Time - when are you most energetic and motivated? Create time blocks on your calendar where you will intentionally work through the steps to reach your goal. Each week, give yourself a floating free block or two that you can use if life gets in the way (which it will at times).
Monitor
Looking at the measurable component of your goal. During your planning and time blocking set assessment days when you should be at 25%, 50%, and 75% of your temporal measure. This allows you to address barriers that pop up or that you had not identified, reset priorities if needed, and adjust the plan. Success is not often linear it’s peaks and valleys.
Celebrate!
Achieving goals takes effort, they don’t just happen so don’t forget to celebrate that achievement no matter how “big” or “small.”
What were your goals in 2023? What goals do you have in 2024? Achieving goals is a dynamic process. There are no failures only opportunities for learning and growth. If at first you don’t succeed reevaluate, re-approach, and as Aaliyah says “dust yourself off and try again!”
Dr. Beth’s 2023 goal was to move regularly and have fun with movement. Check her out at the Fort Mill Strawberry Sprint and Stroll 5K. She also participated in the MudGirl run to celebrate a friends 40th birthday!
Dr. Ryan’s on it and already has his 2024 goal to run and finish the Boston Marathon. Yay for achieving a BQ!! Check him out at a 5K in Lousiville in 2022 where he placed 1st in his age group with an 18:22 finish.
