Getting to the Goal: One Step at a Time

“I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful.” – Trey Songz

Sounds good, right? Who doesn’t want to be successful?  How do you get there?

His lyrics talk about getting the money, cars, clothes, and of course, the hoes.  In my life, I want to continue to find success, to keep growing and keep moving forward. 

Earlier this year, I decided to embark on a journey to train for and complete an 8K race.  Once I said I would do it, I was focused.  I went online to find a training schedule, taped it in my planner and counted down the days until the race on Saturday, April 30.  I also found more motivation by telling friends and family about my goal.  In conversations, they would ask how the training was going.  This probing definitely kept me on track because I was determined not to disappoint myself or others who believed that I could actually achieve what I set forth to do.

I finished the Drake Relays on the Roads race in 57 minutes.  Crossing the finish line felt great and it was the culmination of 7 weeks of training.  I recall one night of going to the gym at 9:30 pm.  I had a long day of work, class and attending an event on campus, but I knew the sacrifice would pay off in the long run.

The achievement of this goal is a reminder that if you believe it, you can achieve it.  Yes, it’s a cliché line, but it is true.  So now, more goals, more action plans to achieve those goals and goal realization are on my mind.  In setting goals, it is important to keep these things in mind:

Write your goal down.

Verbalize it!

-Tell people about it and they will help you with accountability.

Put a date on it.

-It might also help to have markers to help you feel like you are taking steps to actually achieving the goal.

Expect moments of discouragement, but don’t accept defeat.

Encourage yourself in the process.

-I had plenty moments where I was repeating Philippians 4:13 in my head while on the treadmill.

Here’s to great goal setting and making those goals a reality!