The main failure I see in most people\u2019s resolution setting is that the resolutions themselves tend to live in a vacuum without any clear systems around them for support. If you are relying solely on your willpower and excitement to get you to some new achievement you are likely to run out of both\u2014well before the end.<\/p>\n\n\n
You need to use the initial energy at the time of resolving to build a system that will work for you, even when the new passion is gone.<\/p>\n\n\n
Excellent goals are SMART (it\u2019s a tired acronym but it\u2019s still good): Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. You can read more about this type of goal setting here<\/a>. What\u2019s most important is getting objective and personal with your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n Make sure that your goal could be measured by an outside observer.<\/p>\n\n\n Sometimes I will set a theme and then describe that theme with measurable objectives in point form. Don\u2019t go overboard. If you set a really good objective goal like \u201crun a marathon\u201d you\u2019ll find that it carries with it many other subsidiary accomplishments like \u201cbe able to run to the bus without wheezing\u201d. Make sure the goal you set is meaningful and one you believe you can accomplish in the timeframe you\u2019re aiming for.<\/p>\n\n\n You might want to beat your training nemesis in a bout, but a goal that relies on your relative performance to someone else can be tricky to chase. What if they leave your club, or have the time to train way harder than you this year? Find a way to articulate your goal in relation to your own physicality and character. What would be a personal goal that would put you in the best shape to meet your competitive objectives?<\/p>\n\n\n Once you have an objective and personal goal, write it down somewhere that allows you to regularly check-in on it. Some recent research has suggested that you shouldn\u2019t talk about your goals too much with others, better to keep them private and personal. <\/p>\n\n\n The research showed that those who talked up their goals tended to not strive as hard for them because they had already received the social payoff up front. Create accountability by sharing your activities (not just verbally but physically) with others. Leave sharing the result for your celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n Big things are achieved by making incremental steps toward them in a systematic way. Create a daily or weekly rhythm then plan out how you\u2019ll attack those events in advance. Write out your training or action plan (or use an existing one: running<\/a>, longsword fundamentals<\/a>, rapier fundamentals<\/a>). If you have your plan in advance it\u2019s way easier to take action when you\u2019re feeling low.<\/p>\n\n\n I use repeating tasks in my todolist app Remember the Milk<\/a> to keep my daily and weekly rhythms going. Others setup repeating events in their calendar apps, or carry a paper date book that does the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n Schedule your monthly check-in with a friend, life or training partner right now<\/strong>. They have goals they want your help with too!<\/p>\n\n\n Rewards and consequences could be extrinsic or intrinsic. For me I find a lot of reward in identifying the milestones on the way to the big goal that are worth savouring on their own. Being able to run for ten minutes straight on its own was an awesome reward. For others, having an extrinsic reward like buying yourself a new sword, or mini-rewards like special events or celebrations can be motivating.<\/p>\n\n\n Punishments too can be powerful for some \u2014 there are a ton of apps, like Stickk<\/a>, that you can use to bind a monetary consequence to your success or failure (typically in the form of a payoff to a friend or charity you don\u2019t like).<\/p>\n\n\n Regardless of your reward structure, plan it out in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n Take out a sheet of paper and write all of the things that might get in between you and your resolution. Consider both external and internal factors. You\u2019ve set goals before, use that knowledge to help identify what has typically gotten in your way.<\/p>\n\n\n Examples of common barriers:<\/p>\n\n\n See if you can identify any personal emotional blocks that might stand in your way, like:<\/p>\n\n\n Putting some heartfelt thought into these barriers at the outset in itself can give you more power over them. Take it further by identifying one or two key things you can add to your system to help you avoid the block. Then write down one or two contingency plans you can put in place now<\/strong> to help you get back on track if (or when) you get caught in one of these pitfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n One of the things that has helped me stay on the goal setting train so long is a recognition that failure is inevitable, it\u2019s giving up<\/em> that I have control over.<\/p>\n\n\n Often when you fail you still make it 80% further than you would have otherwise\u2014now it\u2019s just a question of setting a new goal around the gap. Sometimes striving for goals tells you important things about what you\u2019re really interested in and committed to. The thing is if you\u2019re open to it you\u2019ll always learn something that will help you approach the next goal with more tools and a greater awareness, and that\u2019s where the payoff is.<\/p>\n\n\n Life is not lived in the future. Goals and resolutions, when used best, give you a structure for purposeful action today<\/em> regardless of outcome\u2014and that\u2019s where fulfillment lies.<\/p>\n\n\n DuelloTV has tons of tools for helping you set meaningful rhythms around your sword training. Be sure to sign-up for the\u00a0Daily Drill<\/a>, leverage the\u00a0Training Plans<\/a>\u00a0for the fundamentals as well as apprentice material for rapier and longsword, and join into weekly\u00a0online live classes<\/a>\u00a0to keep you inspired and get feedback!<\/p>\n\n\n Enjoy your training!<\/p>\n\n\n Devon<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The main failure I see in most people\u2019s resolution setting is that the resolutions themselves tend to live in a vacuum without any clear systems…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125575"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126393,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125575\/revisions\/126393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathofthesword.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Get Objective<\/h3>\n\n\n
Get Personal<\/h3>\n\n\n
2. Write it Down but Don\u2019t Share It<\/h2>\n\n\n
3. Create Systems and Rhythms<\/h2>\n\n\n
Answer these questions:<\/h3>\n\n\n
Leverage Your Calendar and Todolist<\/h3>\n\n\n
4. Set Rewards or Punishments<\/h2>\n\n\n
5. Plan for Barriers and Blocks<\/h2>\n\n\n
Failing is Part of the Process<\/h2>\n\n\n
How We Can Help You<\/h2>\n\n\n