Do you shy away from sharing goals and aspirations with others?
If you do, it’s time to change that! A study performed by Psychologist Dr.Gail Matthews shows that those who share goals with a friend are more likely to achieve them. By having someone to hold you accountable you are more likely to be successful in your pursuit, and it's so easy to do!
To continue upon my theme of goals and goal setting, I have decided to share my list of summer goals with you all.
This was not my own idea, and initially when it was suggested to me, I thought, “no-way." I do not typically voice resolutions I make because there can be added pressure to follow through, and potentially judging eyes if I happen to come up short (though, it's probably just in my head).
But, there is something different about putting these goals out for the entire internet community to see. Interestingly, I've observed that many blogs were started by people who had a goal to achieve and were looking to share it publicly in order to hold themselves accountable.
Without further adieu... while coming up with the list was no easy task, I have one that I would like to share with you all:
Goals
1. Follow through on the "little things" I need to do as a runner.
I love running and training for races, but over the past couple of years I have been plagued with injuries. In part, I believe I continually get hurt because I am not very diligent about doing “maintenance work” (which consists of everything outside of actually running). I want to become more consistent with stretching, foam rolling, and strength/core work.
2. Read more
In middle school, I was a voracious reader. I took multiple trips to the library each week, and would finish entire books in one sitting. I loved reading and always seemed to find books that kept me engaged. As school and life got busier, reading for pleasure took a backseat. But, I'm looking to get back to the good ol' days.
Three books I am eager to read are "Cooked" by Michael Pollan, "The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses" by Eric Ries, and “Whole:Rethinking the Science of Nutrition” by Howard Jacobson and T. Colin Campbell.
3. Take advantage of the city.
I don't feel as though I truly take advantage of what Boston and its surrounding cities have to offer. I am going to make a conscious effort to search for things that are of interest to me and actually do/attend them. For instance, there are many free fitness events, such a yoga, pilates and boxing being offered throughout the summer, and The Institute of Contemporary Art holds a summer concert series that I would like to attend.
4. Cook!
My cooking abilities are quite minimal, and I would love to improve them. Throughout the year I have been keeping a running list of recipes, mostly vegan, that I want to try to make.
Taking the first steps
While it was tempting to aimlessly pursue my goals (which is what I've done in the past), I feel confident that I will be more successful because I am now armed with a plan.
With my list in hand, the next steps are to finalize the specific details of my goals, and create a way to track my progress. After that, its time to get started!
Who will hold you accountable?
Take some time this week and share your goals with someone or find someone to hold you accountable. Training for a summer race? Find a group to meet up with. Or, start your own blog! As always, you are welcome to share with the CogniTea community in the comments below or on Facebook.
Photo Credit: http://500px.com/photo/24337427/four-best-friends-and-a-cape-cod-sunset-by-michelle-marks?from=user
Abbey Murphy is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame. She is majoring in pre-health studies and sociology. Despite being an avid coffee lover, she decided to give CogniTea a try and is now a summer intern! When she isn’t blogging, she can be found running, reading the latest health news or going to the beach. In the future, she hopes to work in the field of nutrition and aid people in their search for their optimal diet and lifestyle.
