Get Your Kicks on Route 66

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

Happy New Year to all of you! We hope 2018 was productive and that you're looking forward to a great 2019. 

This is a time of year for a lot of us to set new goals and challenges for ourselves. It's nice to have a fresh start and a clean slate heading into the new year. Reaching goals and sticking to those commitments can be tough for some. As most of you know, a lot of New Year's resolutions are never accomplished or completed. In many cases those resolutions are simply not attainable, or there was no real planning, and sometimes just a lack of passion and desire. 

I'm not suggesting I'm the best at goal setting, but in our business, we have to set measurable goals a year in advance and plan to accomplish those things. Every year, we sit down with our marketing team, we each have the year's calendar as well as next year's in hand. We then plan every event, every training session, fun run, marketing initiative and so on for the entire year. Now Carolyn, Mary, Misti and I all know what the goals are and how to execute the plan. Sometimes we deviate from the plan, but not often. And if we do, we typically drop something else in its’ place. 

Some time ago, I received an email from our Fleet Feet team up north talking about setting SMART goals. 

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Relevant
T - Time based

Goals needs to be specific so we know exactly how to attack them. It's not enough to say: '”my goal for the year is to run four races". What four races? Where are they and how are you getting there? Did you actually sign up and pay for the races? 

Is it a measurable goal? Can you track it or are you just flying by the seat of your pants and hoping the training happens?

If the goal is to run four races, you need a measurable training plan that's realistic and one you can stick with.  

Is it attainable? With your current work and life schedule, can you actually train for four races and stay healthy, happy and injury free? Can you physically and financially make four races happen?

By asking these questions, you can always adjust the goal to something you can be confident you're able to accomplish. You'll be much happier knowing you stuck to your training plan and completed one or two great races rather than getting discouraged or injured and not completing any. 

Is it relevant? Why are you doing it? Are you doing it for a reason, is it something that gets you excited and makes your heart pound?

If you’re looking to run a race just for bragging rights, you probably won't be that excited about getting up at 4:30 a.m. and going out for a training run. If, however, it's a race you've always dreamed about doing and it gets you super excited, that's relevant. When I was training for my first marathon, during long runs I would visualize Carolyn and my daughter Megan cheering me at the finish. I imagined it being exciting and emotional. Little did I know at that time, Megan would make the trek from Chicago to be there at the finish with Carolyn. And it was exactly as I had imagined. But it was that one thought that kept me motivated and energized when those long runs were starting to hurt. It was relevant and something I wanted badly.

Is it time bound? Is there a date to have it accomplished and is that date realistic?

If you want to lose 20-pounds in 30 days, it is time bound but probably not realistic and you may fail. So 20-pounds in six months or a year is very attainable. That's something you can break down weekly and monthly and see it's realistic. You want to run a marathon next month and your long runs have been thee-to-five miles. Once again, it's time bound but not realistic. Consider joining a training group to help keep you accountable and on track. (More info here: www.fleetfeetstuart.com/training.)

I think it's important to be honest with yourself. If you make it a goal to get up at 4:30 a.m. every morning to workout, are you typically an early riser or do you have to stay up late every night getting the kids to bed and preparing for the next day?

Maybe every day isn't realistic. You might want to find a better time of day or mix it up and do something you know you can commit to and accomplish. 

One New Year’s Eve, Carolyn and I made it our resolution to drive Route 66. That evening we spent much time talking and dreaming about how that drive would look. Our vision was crystal clear, and we were so excited to start planning. We knew what the weather would be like each day of the trip. We could see the trees as we drove down the highway in the convertible we didn't own. We could see the old barns, farm houses, cattle and rolling hills. We'd be wearing jeans, cowboy boots, white cotton shirts and sunglasses. 

That January 1^st, our planning began. There was internet but no Google so we had to rely on the atlas and any information we could gather from our dial-up internet. If you don't know what an atlas is, Google it. We knew we needed cowboy boots, so we went to our closest western supply store and $700 later we were the proud owners of some fine boots. Within a month or so we purchased a new Mustang GT convertible. (As a side note, the best time to purchase a convertible Mustang is in the middle of winter in Illinois. You are sure to get the best deal.) This trip was coming together nicely. 

The plan was to stay in little towns and motels along the way. We would drive four-to-five hours each day, stop for the evening and soak up the local flare. We even planned to find an old bar out in the middle of the desert, and drink tequila under the tin roof porch as the rain pelted our dust covered Mustang. We had no way of knowing if this place existed or if it would even be raining if we did find it, but in our minds the vision was clear. We could taste the tequila and smell the rain and dust. 

Unfortunately, we didn't take that Route 66 trip. Our careers took us to other places and we postponed. That trip is still on our bucket list. The boots are still in great shape but the Mustang is long gone. We planned every detail and talked about it so much, it feels like we were there. We can still see the tin covered porch, taste the tequila and see the dusty Mustang. We dream of that place often, even though it may only exist in our minds.

The point of this story is, it was a very well-planned goal/resolution, We could see it, taste it and we were very excited about it. Without question, it was SMART goal setting, even though we haven't made it yet. We made a serious commitment to making that trip happen. Most, if not all of you, have planned awesome vacations and gone to great lengths to make them happen. They happened because you followed the SMART goal setting plan whether you knew it or not. Applying those same principals to all of your New Year resolutions, or whatever life goals you've made, will likely guarantee your success. At the very least, you'll realize that maybe some of those are not what you really want and can be even more focused on what you're really passionate about. 

We could not be more excited about 2019! There is so much to be excited for, we have so much to accomplish! And of course, in the blink of an eye, we'll be ringing in 2020. We hope that your planning and goal setting get you where you want this year. Make it a great one! We'll see you out there!

Stay safe, healthy and happy, 

Edgar