Goal Setting for 2009


Well, it seems like the year only started just yesterday, but time flies and 2008 is drawing to a close.
Was it a good year? Despite lackluster economic times, it wasn’t all that bad.

While 2008 may not go down in the history books as mankind’s most prosperous year, it has given us all an opportunity to take a step back and reassess our priorities. What is important? What is really required for fulfillment? For some, the answer will legitimately be the fancy new car or an addition to the house. For the overwhelming majority of us, however, what we really want is to simply be happy – live a good life. And I have a feeling that in 2009, we will see a growing number of people looking for self-improvement, and seeing health and fitness as a top priority.

So what are your goals? What are the things that you would like to accomplish in the coming year? 2009 will be one of the most important years of your life – make whatever you want closer to reality.
My top 5 fitness goals for 2009 are (in no particular order):

  • Get 40+ consecutive pull-ups
  • Achieve a 900 Crossfit total (1RM back squat + deadlift + shoulder press)
  • 30 second handstand by Summer
  • 21 minute 5km run by end of Summer
  • Enter 10km race – break 45 minutes
  • 3 weeks straight 100% strict zone diet, adhere to a moderate paleo philosophy for the rest
  • Take 2 fitness courses by September
  • Attend more yoga classes – increase flexibility – be able to put palms on floor with legs straight by November
  • 3 reps bodyweight overhead squat by end of Summer – work on 1RM clean\jerks
  • 15 consecutive ring muscle-ups by December

Goals shouldn’t be easy, but they should be achievable. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking about your own. Unachievable goals set you up for failure which leads to discouragement, frustration and loss of motivation.  Set timelines for your goals and think about what actions are necessary to reach them.

Goal setting should be something that we all do – and not just for fitness and health.  Educational, financial, social and family goals are also extremely important. There Are few things better than goal achievement for yielding positive change in our lives and providing motivation to continue the positive trends.  Set some goals; strive for them; check them off one by one.  Make 2009 your greatest year yet.





2 Comments, Comment or Ping

  1. Dan

    If you’d like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:

    http://www.Gtdagenda.com

    You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
    A mobile version is available too.

    December 24th, 2008

  2. Jamie

    Thanks for the link Dan! Looks like a great site.

    December 24th, 2008

Reply to “Goal Setting for 2009”

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • Weight Training BenchWeight Training Bench Weight training bench review: Fitness experts know that when you want to lose weight or burn fat quickly, then you need to incorporate some form of weight training into your workouts. While cardio exercise is great for cardiovascular fitness (i.e. a healthy strong heart) it does little for building calorie......
  • Morning Update/ Market Thread 5/18 Good Morning,Equity futures are higher this morning, below is a snapshot of the DOW futures on the left and S&P futures on the right showing the overnight action. There is a potential rising wedge outlined, but being that it developed in after hours, it may not be a valid formation:There......
  • fitnessBeginning a Fitness Program Beginning a fitness program is not something that has to be inherently overwhelming. The way to make sure that you are not overwhelmed by your brand new fitness regimen is simply to make sure that you are armed with all of the proper tools in order for you to get......
  • GretzkyYou miss 100% of the shots you never take! What do you want to achieve in life? You may want to advance your career; build better relationships with others; learn a new language; simplify your life; raise a family; the list goes on! How are you progressing so far? What about your health? Most of us try to......
  • blog traffic exchangeMy Current Health Goals I've been thinking about setting personal health goals for the past few weeks, two of them in specific. Well, after some consideration, I've come up with two personal health goals I'd like to really focus on this year. They're important to me, they would improve my health, they are a bit of a challenge (I like a......

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • CIBC Run for the Cure - Crossing the Finish LineThe CIBC Run for the Cure  This morning, I woke up nice and early and headed downtown Guelph for the CIBC Run for the Cure 5k. Apparently about 1500 people showed up for the event. This is nearly the same number of runners that took part in the Guelph race in 2006. Overall, the run was......
  • blog traffic exchangeSocial Networking - Fitness Style In the last couple of years, social networking sites have risen in Internet popularity faster than any other website type. First came MySpace and more recently, Facebook, which keeps getting a larger and larger community. Literally hundreds of other social networking sites exist. Wikipedia has a good sample of what's......
  • blog traffic exchangeWhat is Fitness? Watching a bit of the Tour de France, when the riders seem to effortlessly climb up massive mountain sides, there's no question in our minds - those guys are in good shape. When a new 100m sprinting record is set, nobody questions the sprinter's fitness level. A marathon runner? Yep......
  • blog traffic exchangeWeight Training - Do It Great article here on the New York Times website. It discusses how weight training is not only a vital part of a balanced fitness routine, but is vital for long term health. The main point that Dr. Paul Thompson suggests is how unstimulated muscles eventually atrophy and is the primary......
  • 20071105.gifMaintain Your Healthy Body Weight by Breaking a Sweat Seems obvious, but a recent study at Northwestern University which analyzed the BMI from over 2600 participants over the course of 20 whole years found that those who managed to get about 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise per day between the age of 20 and middle age......