Setting Health-Related Goals
In the Wheel of Life, one of the sections is entitled “Physical & Health.” Most people read this and draw the immediate connection to exercise goals, which are fine. But there is a whole world of possibility for setting goals in the area of Physical & Health.
One of the first goals I remember setting was to run a 10k road race every month of 2012. I was inspired by my boss at the time, Michelle, who was training for her first Ironman race (total badass right?) In order to stay on track with her training, Michelle set a goal to run a half marathon every month for the year leading up to her Ironman race. She was so inspiring and I loved the idea of a monthly event, so I signed up for a year of 10k races (6.2 miles for the non-metric crowd). A 10k takes about an hour to run, and I learned that I could run that distance without training much, but it was always better if I did a bit of running (usually 3-4 miles) in advance of the race. So setting the goal kept me focused on somewhat regular running, in addition to cross-training 3-4 times each week. Setting (and accomplishing) this goal taught me that it’s way easier to maintain healthy habits if I have a specific external motivator. A road race is specific because it occurs on a particular date and time, and it’s motivating because it cost me money to register. I had skin in the game!
Over the years of coaching individuals and groups on goal setting, I’ve noticed that many people, like me, start out by setting goals that have to do with fitness in the Physical & Health area of the Wheel of Life. This makes perfect sense and is an important component of the Physical & Health category. But don’t get so focused on your fitness that you forget about the many other types of goals you can set in the Physical & Health category.
I like to remind people,
“Don’t just think of this as how you move your body, but also how you feed, water, rest, and maintain your body.”
Now let’s talk about Ferraris.
I mean look at this thing. It’s gorgeous. It’s classic. Think about all the ways you would interact with this car if it belonged to you: you would drive it. You would garage it. You would maintain its engine and mechanical parts. You would clean it meticulously. You would shine the hood and buff the chrome and moisturize the leather. You would spend money on gadgets and replacement parts. You would hang out with other Ferrari owners and talk about how much you love your Ferrari and how much enjoyment you get out of it. You would fuel it up with premium fuel and you would have your mechanic on speed dial.
The truth is, you already own this Ferrari. It’s called your body.
YOU are a Ferrari.
Your body is a high performance machine that requires love and care and time to maintain. All the things I listed above that go into owning a Ferrari (and more) can go into caring for and maintaining your high performance body.
Move your body. Protect your body. Perform the proper maintenance with the right professionals. Practice good hygiene. Pay attention to details. Spend time and money caring for your body. Fuel yourself with the best nutrition and hydration that you can. Work with a coach or teacher.
Here are a few examples of Physical & Health goals I (and sometimes Dusty) have set over the years:
▢ Cecily runs a 10k every month of 2012.
▢ Cecily runs the LA Marathon in March 2013.
▢ Team Breeding sleeps in a tent 50 nights in 2017.
▢ Cecily performs 10 strict pull-ups on my birthday.
▢ Cecily eats vegan for 50 days in 2020.
▢ 30 days of squatting for 10 minutes/day in May 2020.
▢ Dusty wakes up at 5:30 am every day of September.
▢ Cecily washes her face and applies moisturizer 15 times in April.
▢ Cecily completes a 750 meter open water swim, without fins, by December 9, 2017.
▢ Cecily can hold a handstand for 15 seconds by December 2016.
▢ Cecily and Dusty summit Mount Whitney (14,495 feet) by June 2017.
▢ Cecily performs 20 Animal Flow + Breath Work sessions in the month of September before 7am, and before electronics.
▢ Dusty hires a run coach by January 2019.
▢ Cecily completes a liver and gallbladder cleanse by the end of November 2019.
▢ Dusty attends all five Olympic lifting classes at CrossFit Malibu in January.
▢ 30 minutes of snatch training every week of summer 2017.
▢ Cecily does 21 consecutive days of savasana (2-5 minutes of silent, horizontal rest).
▢ Cecily gets 7 hours of sleep every night of April.
▢ Cecily tries out 20 new workout styles or gyms in 2016.
▢ Dusty sweats outside five times in December 2017.
▢ Dusty walks campus four times by August 1.
▢ Cecily attends 8 Brazilian jiu jitsu classes in 2016.
▢ Dusty and Cecily each complete 1000 push ups and 1000 step lunges in the month of June 2018. (We spent the whole month apart, so this goal was a fun shared experience that we could keep each other updated on.)
▢ Cecily attends 100 workouts at CrossFit Malibu in 2019.
▢ Veggie of the Month: only purchase the following produce during the month it is in season.
March: Asparagus
April: Artichoke
May: Sugar snap & snow peas
June: Figs
July: Cherries
August: Corn on the cob
September: Zucchini
October: Acorn Squash
November: Roots!
December: Mushrooms
See how much variety is possible in the realm of Physical & Health? I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can maximize the use, enjoyment, longevity, and functionality of the high performance Ferrari that is your body. Now go set some Physical & Health goals!
