Goals Diverted

I'm not going to make it...

At the beginning of 2012, I made a list of all the goals I had for the year to come. Some were for pursuing my career and educational goals; some were geared toward developing my blog, but the most important ones I identified were my running goals. Although we’re only entering the third month of the year, it is evident to me that one of my main goals is not going to be reached at this point in time. I’m left with trying to figure out how to proceed when things are not going to work out the exact way I would have liked them to.  Although I’m simply talking about not being able to run a half marathon in the time frame I had allotted myself, I’m realizing that addressing the concept of "hopes and dreams unrealized" can be applied to so many areas of my life. I’ve never actually sat down and thought about how to move forward when I’m left with the disappointment of my plans not working out.

It had been a goal of mine, at the beginning of the year, to run in the Unplugged Half Marathon on April 14^th, 2012. I developed a 12 week training schedule based on research I’d done for beginners wishing to run a half marathon. I’d even begun my training at the Edge and was ready to really jump into it. However, I’ve been struggling with some unforeseen medical issues that have caused my endurance and performance to lose consistency. At first, I did my best to push through everything I was feeling, but I finally realized that the problems I was having were not normal for someone my age and have been working with my doctor to find a solution. Although I’m doing much better now, I had to stop my training. The end result is that I will not be ready to run a half marathon by April 14^th. Even if I could still consider it, the race sold out in 15 hours!!!  Last year it was a relatively fast sell out but it took a couple of weeks, not hours! I’m very excited for those who got in but I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to join them.

So the question is, where do I go from here? I have time and energy that was invested in reaching for a goal that was important to me; I don’t want to waste it. After studying my goals, I developed a plan to assess the one I wouldn’t be able to reach so that I can confidently move forward.

1.       Acknowledge the loss- I know that it is very frustrating, if not devastating, when your goals are not reached. It’s very important for you to recognize the emotional piece that comes with this disappointment. If your reaction is strong, then it just proves the goal was important to you. I am a person who tends to constantly plan and think about what I want to do and how it is going to affect my future. (some may call this worrying) I like to be prepared for anything that may be thrown my way. When my plans go astray, it’s easy to be thrown off kilter and feel out of sorts. Especially, when I was so looking forward to something, like completing my first half marathon.

I am disappointed that I will not get to participate in this year’s Unplugged Half Marathon event, that my training did not go as planned and that I have had to alter my running plans to deal with a health issue.

2.       Let it go- While I understand that this is easier said than done, it does not benefit you in any way to hold on to disappointment and frustration. It burns energy that you could be putting into developing a new goal and plan or it could hinder you from moving on to something more important. Take a deep breath, recognize your feelings and move on.

I am aware that I have these feelings of disappointment, however I also understand that there is nothing that I can do to change what has transpired to alter my plans. I will let these feelings go and move on.

3.       Decide if your original goal is still important to you- I would use your reaction to your plans being altered as a gauge for weather something is important to you or not. If it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal that you won’t be doing or getting something you'd planned on, then maybe it wasn’t as significant to you as you thought. However, if you’re aware of feelings of disappointment or regret, I think it may be safe to say that your goal was important. Think about where you’ll be a year from now and if, when you look back, it would make a difference to you if you reached your goal or not.

Because I am feeling disappointed that I will be unable to participate in my planned half marathon, I believe that it is still important for me to train for and run an equal distance race. A year from now, it will matter to me if I reached this goal.

4.       Revise your goal- Depending on the reason for you not reaching your target, it may be necessary to revisit and redraft your goal. Were you over-ambitious? Look at the time frame, the monetary investment, the tools needed, and even your commitment level, and decide if there is anything you can do to make reaching your goal easier for yourself.

Because of my unforeseen health issues, I need to pick a different Half Marathon to train for. Not only am I no longer able to register for the Unplugged, but the time frame is too short to allow for me to thoroughly address my health concerns. It may be in my best interest to train for a shorter race first so that I may pace myself as I recover.

5.       Take action and create a new plan to achieve your goal-Once you’ve developed your new goal (or adjusted your old one), take the time to plan for how you will make this time a success. Learn from what previously caused you to fail in the first place. Remember, Conrad Hilton once said “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.” If achieving this goal is important to you, devise a plan to be successful and do your best to follow it.

I will break my goal of running a half marathon down into two parts to make achieving it more attainable-First, while I am still dealing with my health issue I will focus on training for a shorter, less stressful race distance such as a 10k. I will choose a race and I will alter my training schedule to focus on this shorter length. I will then choose a half marathon for later on in the year to train for on the condition that I’m given the all clear from my Doctor.

6.       Enjoy the journey. –Self explanatory J

Running a half marathon is still at the top of my bucket list. I’m excited that I am finally at a position in my life where reaching this goal is actually a possibility. Even six months ago I wouldn’t have dared to dream that I would be on my way to this place of health and fitness.  Although I’m disappointed that I won’t be meeting my goal for the Unplugged half marathon, I am glad that I can continue working on my running technique and take care of myself. I am looking forward to being a spectator and cheering on everyone else as they dash to the finish line.

So my question for you is what do you do when you realize you won’t be reaching a goal or meeting a deadline that you’ve set for yourself? Do you hold yourself accountable and re-evaluate or is it easier to simply not think about it? What do you do when a goal must be deferred?

 I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Still running,

Betsey