New Year, New Goals!
It’s almost that time of the year again, where we all start to think about the New Year and what goals we want to accomplish. I’m not the type of person who needs a New Year as a reason to set goals, but I do have a few in mind all the same for 2018!
Last year, I set out to increase my deadlift max to about 1.5 times my body weight. My body weight has changed over the past year, but when I set that goal a year ago, my goals was to hit 225lbs. Not only did I meet that, I also exceeded it and hit 235lbs at one point this year! I’m sure if I tried today, I could probably get 250lbs, but I’ll save that for when I feel 100% ready to hit it.
I also set a goal to get one pull-up by the end of the year. I haven't hit this goal yet, but I am SO close and have come so far in the past 2-3 months as I've ramped up the amount of time that I spend each workout devoted to pull-ups. I plan to continue on this path until I get a pull-up, and then work on increasing repetitions from there.
Obviously, going into 2018, I have some new fitness goals that I do want to achieve, but I also have other ideas in mind as well.
First, after spending a year focused on deadlifting and pull-ups, it's time to devote more of my attention to squats and push-ups. By the end of the year, I want to squat with 2 plates on the barbell (225lbs total) and be able to complete 30+ push-ups in a row on my toes. I have a few strength programs in mind that I might try to help me reach those goals because a goal without a plan is simply a wish!
On the other hand, I intend on making 2018 a year of relaxing. I have come so far in reducing my stress and cortisol over the past year, but I know I still have a ton of work to do to get to where I'll be my healthiest. It's never been easy for me to be "lazy" or take some time just to do nothing, but I intend to do just that in 2018. The past 10 years have been go-go-go, busy-busy-busy for me, meaning that my body, stress, and inflammation levels have taken a direct hit. This year is going to be different. I know it won't be easy for me to calm the heck down and slow down, but I recognize what will happen to my health if I don't take this time.
As far as setting your own goals, I encourage you to sit down and think about where you were at the start of 2017 and where you are now. What has changed for the better, and what has changed for the worse? Where do you need to make the most changes - nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress? Setting a few goals for yourself is awesome, but remember to back those goals up with a plan. A goal without a plan is just a wish! There's no reason 2018 can't become your healthiest year yet with a little thought, time, planning, and effort!
Cheers to a new year full of new opportunities!
xoxo Olivia
