After I got back from San Francisco in September I made a goal to help you, my reader, get to know me better. I wrote in an earlier blog that I felt my writing had always been technical and non-personal, and I wanted to change that. So I thought it would be a good idea to share with you my goals for this new year.
I am not really a New Year’s Resolution kind of guy (I am always making new goals and reviewing past ones), but I always make an effort to reflect on the past year. Specifically, I look to see if I achieved my goals from the previous year and how I am going to rock out in the upcoming year.
So here they are:
Professional Goals
GET SMARTER! I have two goals for this: attend at least 2 seminars and read, on average, at least 2 books a month. I should not have much of a problem with these because I love to learn. I have not decided on which seminars to attend this year, but I am thinking one will be related to nutrition.
As far as books go, I have a pretty long to-read list. In past years I have made an effort for these books to be focused on health, fitness, or business. The reason I did this was to get better at my craft. However, this year I am just going to make an effort to read whatever sounds good to me or that is recommended by others. I believe a good book will make me a better writer and coach, and therefore, be better able to serve you even if it does not focus exclusively on topics related to health and business.
Publish at least 2 articles in an online or print magazine. Most of my article ideas are better suited for women’s magazines such as Shape, Women’s Health, Women’s Fitness, etc. so I will be targeting those first, but I can later see myself branching into other publications.
Finish my first E-book. I have a pretty good start on an E-book and I just thought of another idea the other day. So I at least want to finish my first idea. If I finish both that would be even better!
Complete a nutrition certification. I have still not decided which to pursue. I had decided on the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) Certification through the Nutritional Therapy Association, but the Winter registration is now full and I would have to wait until the fall to start. I may still do this.
The NTP program is 9 months and is quite intensive. They cover a lot of the science as well as more practical issues. I have also spoken to many graduates and they speak highly of the program.
The other top ones on my list are the Precision Nutrition Certification and the Certified Sports Nutritionist from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (CISSN).
The problem with the Precision Nutrition cert is that I already have the text and feel like I know most of the material from it. The problem with the latter is that I want more of a holistic approach to coaching my nutrition clients. It does not appear that this cert goes into depth on issues related to digestion, stress, hormones, etc. However, I do feel like I could learn most of these topics on my own so we’ll see – I am so indecisive!! I will keep you updated:)
Build a more successful online business. There are many subgoals within this one. I want to reach over 10,000 readers each month as well as build up my online client base. I would like your help with this. If you have topics you are interested in, then please let me know. Also, if you find my posts helpful or entertaining, please share them. My main goal with wanting more readers is so that I can ultimately help more people.
I also want to write more and more articles covering the basics of nutrition, exercise, lifestyle behaviors, etc. – these are topics that I am passionate about. There is so much conflicting information on the internet that it confuses me sometimes. Intermittent Fasting, If It Fits Your Macros, Keto Diets, Ornish Diet, High Intensity Intervals or Long-Slow Cardio, … I could go on and on. While I think it is great that we are learning more and more about the human body and what is optimal, I also know that we need writers and speakers to simplify this information to help people actually apply it. That is where I want to come in.
While I love learning minute details and the geeky science behind all things related to fitness and health, I also love being able to help people actually use these details to achieve their goals in a sustainable way. And a lot of times, my clients’ and readers’ results do not come down to me knowing all of the science. I have to be able to find easy steps that they can stick with.
I think everyone can agree that consistency is one of the most important attributes in achieving success in any endeavor.
Keep dominating at IFAST. I love the clients I work with at IFAST! I want to continue working hard to deliver excellent service and results to them.
I also want to help IFAST continue growing. This past year we have seen a nice increase in our clientele, but there is always room for more. 🙂
Family Goals
Be an awesome husband! I am so lucky to have the most awesome wife ever – Emme Moore! She means so much to me, and I want to make her so happy! I have a lot of mini-goals for this but here are a few:
-Have a “date night” at least once a month.
-Hug her when I get home from work.
-Listen better. This is as simple as looking at her when she is talking and paying close attention to her words.
Call my mom and dad at least twice a month and visit them at least every other month. I have wonderful parents, and I do not make enough of an effort to show them how much I love them and appreciate all they have done for me.
Unfortunately, I have had several deaths in my family within the past 3 months. My sister also was killed in a helicopter crash about 3 years ago (she left behind 2 children – my nephew and niece). These things, while terribly difficult, have made me realize the importance of being with family and loved ones.
There are not many days that go by that I do not wish I could see and talk with my sister one more time.
I sometimes get caught up in my work and my hobbies, and therefore, leave little time for my family. But I know that I will never regret making time for the ones I care about and love.
Fitness and Health Goals
Gain 10lbs this year. Since I have finally gotten my hormones in the normal range (see below) I am ready to start pounding down the food. If you are serious about a performance or aesthetic goal I think it is extremely important to have your hormones checked. You may be doing all of the right things with regards to nutrition and exercise, but if your hormones are out of whack you will not see the results you are after.
Stay injury free. The past couple of years I have been so focused on increasing the weight on the bar at no cost and often ignored my own advice when it came to soft-tissue work, mobility, and technique. Therefore, this year I am going to be less obsessed over the weight on the bar and ensuring I have a solid movement pattern before getting impatient with the weight.
This also means that I am not setting any strength goals this year. Don’t get me wrong – I am still going to push myself. I have never had a problem with that. In fact, I think I push myself too hard sometimes, but I am going to be smarter this year.
Completely solve my hypothyroid issues. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism almost a year ago and through a lot of experimentation my test results came back normal two weeks ago (blog on this coming soon). I am very excited about this, but I know that I will have to keep working to maintain my healthy thyroid.
So that is it. If you have anything you would like to see from me in the future please let me know. I want my blog to be interactive and become more and more of a community. I will try to respond to all messages and comments.
Lastly, I want to think everyone for the great response I have received on my eating disorder post. I have received numerous texts, emails, and facebook messages. Part 2 will be up in the next week or two.
Have a great rest of your week!