Hello my friends,

Here is a voice recording taken yesterday after I was prompted on my run to reach out. While running all the words flowed and made sense and of course when I later hit the record button I had absolute word loss; so this is attempt three and it is still a little awkward; apologies!

For the tourists out there we stayed in Clifden in an amazing little find from airbnb called Helen’s Hideaway. I cannot recommend more highly this cozy, spacious, and beautifully decorated apartment right in the heart of Clifden.

Less windy Sunday view from our apartment

We enjoyed a superb run from our door onto the Sky Road loop; a nice 15km loop with plenty of hills and oh my god the wind; I couldn’t feel my body let alone hear my thoughts. No need for thoughts when we had these views! These photos are not my own; I was too busy chasing Garron to take photos!

Sky road upper and lower road views

Sky road, Clifden

Clifden town

Sky road, Clifden

Views from Sky road

Back to blogging; a few words on New years resolutions

I could start writing this blog with a Happy New Year message but I think we should get up every day with this “new” day feeling and not just attack one day a year with big goals and dreams for ourselves. So instead I am going to wish you a Happy New day; what are you going to do with your gift of time today?

How about starting EVERY day this year with this “New Years feeling” and taking a moment each morning (or even the night before) considering the 24 hours ahead and what goals you are striving for, the plans to achieve the goals, and the actions to take today.

Even better while doing this give thanks for the previous 24 hours and recall all that you were blessed with and all that the Universe taught you….there is a lesson in everything when you have your eyes open.

Ingredients for a great year:
CREATE (Create some big dreams),
BELIEVE (believe in yourself),
ACT (start plans in motion),
ASK (invite the universe in)

= how to create awesome.

A few things I consider when setting goals:

1 Consider all areas in your life and do your best to write down a list of themes; for example I break it down into Relationships, Business, Education, Personal & Spiritual, Health & Fitness and then I go about setting specific goals within each category. Once the goals are set I then set out a plan within each category, and when I have the plan I break this down into manageable action chunks.

2. Make the goals sufficiently big to scare you a little whilst also achievable with some tolerable growing pains. It is important to strive forwards into slightly uncomfortable territory; this is empowering for your self-belief while enabling you to hit your truer potential.

Only you can know how to define what scares you somewhat; ignore other people (for example sky diving for now is something that scares me too much but I won’t rule it out either. Maybe when I am 90 🙂 ).

I also believe that goals can be broken down into stepping-stones towards an ultimate goal. For example you may wish to complete something significant but it feels a long way off. Set the goal and then set micro goals that feel more manageable.

For example I took on the challenge of doing a half ironman last year with no triathlon experience and I also get terribly anxious in social situations (in other words the whole ironman competition  idea felt like insanity!).

So I had my ultimate goal, the IM 70.3 in Zell am See and I also had my nerves to conquer. Both seemed very big goals so I then broke the training down into a weekly training plan and for my nerves a mission to never say no to new training opportunities that involved meeting  people (as well as daily visualisations) and I threw myself in head first. The smaller goals towards the ultimate goal then felt possible so this is what I focused on. 

I found myself knocking knees with anxiety more than once but a year on I am a stronger person for it; and a happier one with a more than successful race in Austria and new friends too! Needless to say the goals are bigger this year as they should be now I have a bit of faith and belief in myself.

3. As much as you can define the goal such that a plan and strategy can be made.

For example in education I wish to read more (quality) and I have identified key areas and specific books; I then set times aside each day to read in my daily planner, and also a list to check off what I have studied daily and when I have completed a whole book I will document this so that one year on I can feel good about what I have achieved.

Regarding training I am (still) triathlon training and this years goals are to include more strength and conditioning and core work as well as to work with a running coach and focus on imbalances as well as all my strengths. To action this I use Training Peaks and I have set Sunday aside to plan the week ahead as well as laying out a 12 week overview so I know where I am going within manageable time-frames while focusing on key competitions.

You don’t need to be doing competitions to make a set goal and time frame; I do suggest using this idea for how you plan to commit to yourself in the creation of your dream life.

It’s all about the planning

4. At all times consider how your heart and energy ‘feels’ in relation to your goals and use emotions and feelings in the description of the goals.

For example one goal of mine is to race Challenge Galway half ironman in June. I have set a goal time to finish so this will stay at the back of my mind but I have focused more so on how I will feel not only on the day but in my training journey: energised, strong, fit, fast, focused, happy, smiling, present and aware.

I am travelling to the USA later in the Spring for educational and spiritual reasons and for this too I have set goals that are about how I will feel there and how I will feel with what I come home with deep within. I have set some very specific “growth intentions” for this trip while also inviting in a sense of mystery to the whole journey so that I am not limiting my experience.

Make goals matter to you personally for expansion of the person that you are.

Goals must be deeply significant and relevant to you; they should get you excited about life and drive you forward with a passion and enthusiasm to execute them.

The WHY is what matters the most; aim to choose want to’s and not should do’s.

Consider for example:

I must go on a diet and get fit; the most common resolution.

WHY? Why are you doing this?

“I will go on a diet starting in the New Year” is what many say as they stuff in another chocolate; and for many the more punishing, restrictive or celebrity endorsed the diet then the better. Ask yourself first why? Why punish your body? Why deny yourself? Why fall for the media promises and books written by celebrity  “I did this and so can you” experts?

It seems that the most successfully sold regimes are the ones with the least science and the most ‘fad’. Very few of these ‘diets’ actually empower you with real knowledge about how to maintain a healthy weight and a sustainable eating plan.

Furthermore very few adults consider the dieting message that they are giving their children….. think twice about what your children absorb when it comes to body identity. and eating habits.

If you are doing this as punishment for December and the festive season or because you are unhappy in your self then this is far less empowering and positive to you than for example ‘I wish to discover healthier ways of eating and new cooking skills and to explore new healthy foods; and I wish to explore new enjoyable ways of moving and exercising so that I feel good, meet new people, challenge myself and am fit enough to participate in sport with my kids’ etc.

Affirm this with ‘it doesn’t feel good being unfit from inactivity and sluggish from unhealthy and inappropriate food choices; I want to feel energised and clear minded, to enjoy health and all the abundance this brings to my life. I see myself this time next year fit, healthy, proud of myself and my awesome body for this is the year that I worked with myself. This is the year that I explored what my body was calling for and I nourished myself with healthy, local, seasonal and organic foods; cooked at home using traditional methods, and eaten with the family.

I must go to the gym and do the latest craze fitness class.

WHY? Why are you doing this?

It is important to make choices regarding exercise that make you feel good and are enjoyable to you. It makes no sense to decide to start doing something that already feels awful just at the mere thought. Make a choice to move more and then decide how this will be achieved in a way that you will love and continue to implement as part of your daily life.

Movement is not something we should consider as exercise but as a necessity for health, longevity, productivity, and happiness.

Ask a child why it exercises every day and they will look at you like you are daft; children move its called play. As adults we owe it to ourselves to find movement that feels like play. We should come back from our daily “movement” smiling.

Exercise should be play,
The ultimate form of self-expression.

Movement a flow of thoughts and a deep spiritual peace,
Breath and the beating heart a sign of life and vitality.

Move today empowered that you can,
test yourself and then test a little bit more.

Move for joy, empowerment and experience,
Move to be strong; in mind, body and spirit.

It’s not about winning the race,
It’s about winning every moment of the race.

I must do XYZ

WHY?

Versus ‘I desire to learn new skills/ to grow myself, to focus on my unique strengths or to grow my business, to meet new people, to feel good within myself, or to tap into my creative side as a lack of creativity has left me feeling somewhat empty in the past years, to decide to make changes to feel good and making this a priority, etc., etc’.

This year make your goals more meaningful to you and all aspects of your life and work will flourish. It takes a little more time searching within to set your goals but it will be very worth while.

Life is meant to be a joyful experience and it up to you to create it….

Live this new year like every day is a new opportunity….

In thanks with each sunset and gratitude for the gift of every new dawn