If you want to have the satisfaction of success what defines success? Without a goal and a plan then it is hard to know what it is let alone achieve it. 

For many years I “winged” my way through triathlon, having achieved some great results, not having a plan and not really having a goal, I did know what I wanted but just trusted in myself to get the results – I had no written goals. Luckily for me I got through it, but there came a time when winging it just doesn’t cut it. 

In short I now have multiple small goals and larger long term goals, one of them stretching out to 3 years.   

So what is a goal – 

• Something you want to achieve 

• Something you want to work towards 

• Something you want to re-achieve

• A feeling you want 

• An outcome 

The goal or goals should be realistic and achievable in a given time frame – tell someone your goals to make you accountable – write them down – promise yourself a treat upon achieving a goal – Multiple or “stage” goals are great in creating success, helping you push forward to achieve your bigger goals.  

What is needed? You will need a plan……. knowing how you will achieve your goals is a huge part in goal setting and the part that most people miss out when setting their goals and therefore ultimately fall short. Think of it as a journey, say getting from London to Copenhagen – without planning a route how would you get there? You may eventually reach your destination but how much wasted time, energy, frustration and wrong turns would have happened before you did get there? 

Having a plan and knowing the way you will reach your destination/goal is the best option, it isn’t always as much fun, but you can go off piste every now and then and still achieve. The plan will likely change along the way but that is life, but the goals will remain the focus. 

There are plenty of off the shelf plans out there to assist in achieving targeted race distances, some of these are great, however they will need adapting to your personal needs. They are aimed at getting someone through a race distance, if you have a week sport then you will need to work harder on that element than the others, this means that time may have to be reduced on the other elements, this means working off the basic plan.  

Even when you have a plan for your goals you will then require a plan for your race, if that is what your goal is – this is a whole other minefield involving pacing, timing, equipment, nutrition, hydration, tactics, elements…. 

A goal I set myself in 2019 was to give MAF running a shot – I gave myself a target of 6 months – the specific element was to try and achieve a running pace under 5 minutes per k for an hour at MAF. I had a plan on how I was going to get there, following the MAF method (not fully but as much as I could). This was exceptionally frustrating to start with, I was running 45s per k slower than that for just 20 mins to start with – I had to alter my stride pattern, I had to walk elements, it was hard work. I stuck with the plan and in less than 6 months achieved it running for more than 60 mins and under 5mins per k at MAF. (I like the MAF method – it works for me, but isn’t for everyone)

Believing in the plan and that you can achieve your goals is the main part, if you can do that then you will likely succeed. If you just have a “New Years resolution” or a goal without a plan it is likely it will not happen and you will not achieve your desired outcome.   

Take some time to work out what your goals are and more importantly how you can achieve them, it makes it all worthwhile when you eventually achieve your goal. 

Comment below with your goals