New Year, New You?

But what was wrong with the old you? The start of the ‘new year’ is always one welcomed with mixed feelings; here we are suddenly meant to feel somewhat renewed and really nothing much has changed other than the year.

Same same. But different. Welcome to 2023.

Already I have failed this year. Well, the failure started in 2022 and is still carrying on into this year so technically no failure occurred in 2023 just a carry on from the previous year!

As a Planted Endurance athlete, I plan my running and racing year well in advance; I set goals and with a renewed motivation to either run a race I haven’t done before or run a PB of a previous course to help quantify that all the training I am putting in is reaping improvement and rewards.  Now mid-way through January and I still have no idea where the road and trails are going to lead for 2023.

Currently, I am planning to fail by my failure to plan.

Being a Planted run coach, I put a call out to all my athletes late last year to have them think about their G O A L S for the year ahead; to have them feel motivated to work towards an adventure that was going to challenge them both physically and mentally. Shouldn’t I have heeded my own advice and done the same?

Physical activity and pushing boundaries have always been a part of my MO (modus operandi) Latin meaning for ‘way of operating’ and I believe it always will be but the disappointment of not carrying out my final goal for 2022; Ultra Kosciuszko 100km has hit me hard; I think I am suffering post traumatic (non-race) syndrome.

Being goal driven the focus during training is working towards that start and finish line and everything in-between. Its working towards the rollercoaster of emotions that are going to rush over me like a tsunami over the course of half a day; this build up is mammoth and the energy output is far greater than you can describe; you give it your all and more.

I still feel somewhat deflated from the failure to launch. I pinned a lot on the completion of this race where in fact, what I need to do is focus on the process rather than the result; satisfaction was not achieved solely by crossing the finishing line, but the many paths run which were then going to lead me to the finish line. If I think about it; I completed 90% of my goal and shouldn’t that be where the happiness is stemmed from?

I have worked hard to have a mind shift; for me I have no other choice. The step up is somewhat challenging, in my world anyway but to others it may not seem so great. I am shifting my focus to me and not apologising for that, in my world my challenges are my own to navigate through and for the best part, the challenge is what I thrive off.

Hard is what I do, it’s what I crave despite sometimes struggling with the ‘why’. You are always working at something; life is the balance between pleasure and pain. Period.

There are times when the harder is greater than you would like but if I change the narrative and the story; the hard is suddenly carried out sans expectations and is made somewhat easier; this is where the balance comes in. With pleasure and pain there is also hope. And if we have hope, we have a reason to act.

My mindset is now changing to one filled with more happiness; if I let go of the past I can move forward into the future. If I can’t do that then I am not going anywhere. So, what now? Time now for renewed motivation; for goal setting and seeing where this new year takes me; there is always an opportunity for a new ‘you’ regardless of the time of year.

Note

As a Planted run coach; my coaching stems from three pillars; MIND | BODY | FOOD. Each relate to one another with the end goal to have you find greater strength in yourself both physically and emotionally.

Are you ready to focus on the overall system of your Planted Life? Reach out to me today.