#GOALS

2019 is nearly done and the end of the year brings an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve done. Or some other kind of bullshit that is designed to make some people feel good and some people feel bad. Guess what, if you set some goals this year and you didn’t hit them, that has no bearing on you as a person. Unless its because you spent your time trolling other people on the internet instead of using that time to better yourself, then you’re a piece of shit. Goals are great because they give you focus, and hitting them feels great, not hitting them doesn’t feel great but also doesn’t reduce your self-worth. If you don’t need to hear that today, it may sound like a given, if you do you may see lots of people raving about their year but just remember it’s a highlight reel for 1 year of someone’s life. Everybody’s got their own brand of awesome.

I set a couple of goals this year, some important, some less important. Some I managed, some I didn’t. Let’s talk about 1, probably the most ambitious (probably debatable) being wanting to snatch 100kg. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not at all important but I put a mark in the ‘2019 Goals’ book so it was important to me. Olympic Weightlifting has given me a new training purpose for a few years now and I’ve learned so much about strength and conditioning outside of gymnastics. The ‘snatch’ lift is the most technical and therefore my favourite by default. I like difficult things.

Did I make that 100kg snatch? Absolutely not. I tried a couple of times but honestly, either my technique or strength (or both) were not where they needed to be. Now here’s where I can either choose to think I’ve failed or choose to see how far I’ve come because of the goal I set. Same situation, 2 very different viewpoints completely down to my own emotional response. So, I chose the latter, because I like to think of myself as an eternal optimist (also I am currently well fed and watered). I got a new job closer to home and training, so I have more time to focus. I’ve improved my strength and technique and figured out my nutrition a bit more (with loads of help from Yusuf of Principal Nutrition) so all that really hasn’t gone to plan is the timescale.

I’ve never really set goals for myself before this year. I’ve just winged it and worked hard on whatever I wanted to work hard on. I personally think the hard work is the thing that makes me happy. Outcomes are a by-product of spending time grafting with good people with the same goal, bettering themselves. I read a lot about being process driven, learning about the process, understanding it and enjoying it is supposed to be the greatest way of creating longevity in any endeavour. I’m no expert on this but it certainly fits my understanding of drive and emotional response, hanging my emotions on an outcome that may/may not happen seems risky. I don’t want my enjoyment to be dictated by whether all the pieces of the puzzle came together on the day they were supposed to.

So, what am I going to do for goals in 2020? Well, probably something stupid. I won’t let learning something new about myself get in the way of stupid ideas. Some of my most proud moments in life have come from setting ridiculous goals or giving in to peer pressure and trying something I don’t think I can do (also some of my biggest injuries come from this). I may not have snatched 100kg this year, but 95kg isn’t awful and I know I can handle it if I don’t make the goals I set. I wouldn’t have ever done a Triathlon if my mate Phil hadn’t kept getting me drunk and asking me to. I wouldn’t have ever started my own business if my mate Marcin hadn’t persuaded me that I was capable, and then loads of other people (too many to mention, you know who you are and I appreciate you) told me it’s possible and also helped.

Decide to do something that lights a fire under your ass.

Work fucking hard at it.

And don’t apologise to anyone if you don’t manage it in the expected time frame, just look how far you’ve come since you decided to do it.