2012 Goals - Dream Big, Appreciate the Little Things

Every December I get thinking about my goals and plans for the coming year.  It’s also a particularly special time for me because I have a birthday in early January.  Oh thanks, you’re so sweet! You don’t have to get my anything… But if you really want to I have an Amazon Wishlist under my name (Roxy Richardson) :D

Anyways, every year I make a goals list and tack it to my fridge so I can see it everyday.  The point of the goals list is not to beat myself up if I fall short of a goal.  The point is to keep me motivated and focused through the year. My aim is to align my actions everyday with my goals. Some goals are big some are small but they are all important.

I often find at the end of the year that I have hit a few of my goals, but not all of them.  What’s more interesting to me is that sometimes I change and what was important to me at the beginning of last year is not as important to me at the end.  My priorities have shifted and I’m okay with that. I think about it deeply, make sure I’m not having a case of sour grapes, which most of the time I am not and I simply greet my new shift of perspective warmly and move forward.

This year I hit only 2 of 9 – but the ones I nailed were big ones.  #1 I opened a new gym and made it financially successful within a year. #2 I had 1 more professional Muay Thai fight before I retired.  I came up a little short on my read one book a month goal.  I think I read about 6 books last year. I didn’t get to take up ceramic again like I wanted to and I definitely didn’t manage to save $ and travel to 3 new places. I also didn’t hit my physical goals of a new clean and jerk PR or a new 1 mile sprint time or breaking 300 on my fight gone bad score. But when I look back on 2011 I don’t see all the ways I failed I only see all the accomplishments I made and the new ways I have grown.

My 2011 goal list was ambitious to say the least. My new business took up the majority of my time and energy. I was surprised I kept up with my relationship, my social life, my continuing education and even managed to be a professional athlete. It was a crazy year and the single thing that I realized is I don’t want my life to be that crazy anymore.

I still love Muay Thai and I still love lifting and I still love adrenalin pumping workouts and putting in hard work into my gym and other projects.  But I don’t want to spend 15-20 hours working out a week anymore and I certainly don’t care what my fight gone bad score is.  I will always workout, but with more of an emphasis on health and longevity rather than proving how insanely bad-ass I am. In short - I’ve grown up, and more importantly I’m saving my adrenal glands. I’m okay with leaving the intense workloads to the younger athletes and letting them carry the “bad-ass” torch. Hopefully I can help them learn though my mistakes and maybe later when they are turning 34 they will be able to continue their careers as professional athletes more financially stable and with more fuel in the tank should they desire to do so. Today I am content to simply focus on running my business, helping people, being healthy and having new adventures. 

My goal list this year may appear less ambitious than last’s, but many of the goals will take effort and disciple for me to make happen. Besides I like my list and when I think about my goals, I smile at the potential outcomes… and that’s really what it’s all about!

So without further ado, here are my 2012 goals:

• Take a 15 minute walk outside in the sun each day without my cell phone or iPod
• Read one book a month
• Get two new fitness certifications (one will be the RKC in February) 
• Save $ and travel to at least three new places
• Keep BF below 10% (I run lean so this is not as crazy as it sounds) last I got measured with the BF Truck I was 9.6% and this was post Muay Thai fight, after 3 weeks of indulgence and less than optimal food choices… hey I’m only human.
  
• Keep a modest workout routine: At least 2 strength sessions, 1 sprint or met-con session and 1 Muay Thai session a week
• Increase Function 5 Fitness’ class membership by 30%
• Take up ceramics again I’ve been doing this on and off since I was a kid and I love it!
• Spent at least 1 hour a week on creative writing.  A little known fact about me is that I have been a writer since high school. Besides Muay Thai it’s my biggest passion. I plan to write a book in the future but for 2012 my goal is to start a writing routine again.  That’s how these things work.  Take small steps and those steps lead to bigger goals!
• Write 1 blog and 1 fitness & health article a month – this type of writing is easier for me, I think of it as exercise for the harder creative stuff. Keeps my gears oiled.
• Hold monthly staff meetings to educate staff and cultivate excellent trainers
• Have one date night per week with bf… where I actually get dressed up fancy and do my make up lol
• Go on at least 1 new or different outing/activity per month
• Write my 98 year old grandmother once a month because she prefers letters to phone calls.
• Get 8 hours of sleep most nights. I’ve been good about this lately, but I always want to remind myself of this.  It’s sooooo important!

I encourage you all to make your 2012 goals list. Dream big, take steps to get there everyday and enjoy the ride  :)

15 December 2011 ·

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