Habits 101: Sticking with Goals

Last week, we did a deep dive into setting a goal and I committed (very publicly!) to my goal of walk/run the Gobble Jog 5K on Thanksgiving Day in under 45 minutes. Now, it’s a week out from the event, I’m feeling good with that goal but I’ve had some challenges too.

Making Time

The biggest factor in my completion of goals has always been scheduling them. Ya girl is booked and busy, darling! But, it’s essential for me to figure out ways to complete the things I commit to – for my personal development, but also for the accomplishment of completing them.

For example, I set out to run/walk the 5K on Thanksgiving in under 45 minutes. I’ve completed it before, but this is more of a test to make sure my physical fitness level is maintained from previous years. I did a bit of traveling in October, and once I got back, it’s been raining on and off the past few weeks. To be honest, friends, I have not been able to walk as much as I like. Over the next few days, I will need to schedule in my workouts to make sure I am ready to go next Thursday.

Be Flexible

It’s easy to give up on a plan when it doesn’t go off the way you envisioned it. But that’s no time to give up, it’s the time to recommit to the goal – perhaps with a tweak. I try to reevaluate my goals at least weekly to see what’s going well. At a conference a few years ago, I heard a quote of a way to look at your work: “what needs a facelift, what needs an overhaul, what needs a funeral?” Now, we’re not always discussing work goals here (but it would definitely apply), but when you have a personal goal, look for the small things that can be changed. A facelift may just be a refresh of something small. An overhaul involves rethinking and changing a plan significantly. And you know what, sometimes things we thought were the best approach need to be retired (or have a funeral).

Is this a New Habit?

James Clear writes in an excerpt from his book Atomic Habits that “to change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself. You need to build identity-based habits.” It’s an amazing article – but the general idea is that to shift your mindset (i.e. a short term goal) into a lasting change in your identity (i.e. form a habit).

This whole idea is not that habits are better than goals, but sometimes there is a bigger overhaul that needs to happen than just planning to run a 5K in under 45 minutes; I might want to change my identity into that of a runner…and with that shift in identity, comes a shift in the sustainability and continuation of this new habit.

I hope that these ideas are helpful and spark some further goal setting, habit development and identity shifts for you. If you need support in any of those things, let me know by commenting below! Also, follow me on Instagram as I’ll share some of my experience at the Gobble Jog on Thanksgiving! If you wish to sign up with me visit gobblejog.org and join my team by adding "Team Sumpter". You can also donate to us! 

Until next time, take care of yourselves, friends.