Every new year, I try to make goals for myself that I hope to accomplish throughout the year. Sometimes I make it. Other times I don’t. One success story was my goal to run for 100 days straight. I actually made it to the 130′s. One failure was to compete in a triathlon. That one has been put on hold while I work on my goals for 2010. They are (in no particular order):

1. Wake up earlier than 7:00 AM for 100 days straight
2. Learn to surf
3. Go through 2 programs of Rosetta Stone Chinese
4. Go to church once a month
5. Read a book a month

Here are some tips when creating your own goals.

Don’t make them impossible. It’s good to challenge yourself, but create goals that are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. I’ve seen an increase in the number of runners on the road since the new year. I know there are a plethora of people who are running now because it was their new year’s resolution. I have a friend who used to work at Road Runner Sports. January is their favorite month because of all the new runners that come and try to get in the habit of running. Running is a sport that is built up over time, not overnight. I relaxed on my running at the end of 2009, and now I’m suffering from a mild case of plantar fascia because I’m aggressively trying to tack on miles before the Mardi Gras Marathon at the end of February. Make sure you goals are something you can achieve with some effort, but not Herculean effort. For example, I would recommend a friend run once a week for 3 months. That has flexibility, achieveability, and still has a sense of accomplishment.

Make a goal measurable. A friend has a goal to be more devout this year. That’s a great goal. But how do you know if you achieved it by the end of the year? By setting your goal to metrics, you can know if you were successful or not. In my friend’s case, I would advise changing it to something like, “Attend bible study four times a month.”

The final thing is to choose goals that you want to achieve. Often, people choose goals that other people set out for them. These are hard to finish and lack motivation over time. Make sure it’s something you want to do, and you’ll enjoy it much more. I made sure that all these goals I set for myself are ones that I’d like to achieve regardless of who I know or associate myself with.

How am I doing on my goals? Waking up early had a rough start, but now I’m doing pretty well. It really forces me to manage my time better and plan when I go to sleep. I did sleep in until 7:20 on Sunday, but I won’t reset the counter unless I do it again. I guess I gave myself a mulligan. Surfing hasn’t started, and probably won’t start until summer or late winter. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and can’t wait to try it this year. Learning Chinese is going well. I listen to Chinese podcasts while I run, and have realized that my Chinese sucks. I’m going to have to work really hard to achieve that goal. Books are going alright, but they are getting pushed aside due to my bad time management. As I get my time management under control, I hope to be able to block out more time to read and start getting into a rhythm. I’ve already attended church this month, so I’m doing good on that. I’ll keep my blog up to date on the progress. Hopefully, I can check off the 100 day 7 AM start some time in April. If not, it could be a hard task to complete.

What are your goals for 2010?