How to Set Goals for the New Year

Alright, so here we go off and running into the second week of January, already! I always figured myself a reliable guy, if I make plans I’m sure not to break them. If someone needs hand getting small jobs done, I’m usually someone friends can count on to help out and years of fixing up an old house I come with a bit of experience. I’m the first to say I don’t know everything, but I show up! However, my blog posts are, how can I say this, “Consistently Inconsistent”, make sense? As I look at stats over the past year I was all over the place when posting something new, not a way to build a following, says the experts. So, one of my New Years goals is to be well, more consistent, when it comes to writing and it does work as my latest numbers show a large growth of visitors and views when I get the job done on time. Already this month (January) with one post I have the most views I’ve ever had in a month and I chalk that up to more content leading in from November and December, funny how that works. That’s one goal for 2023, sounds easy and some days it is, but I also want the quality of the content to keep improving, evolving to the point where not only do you want to read it, you need too, like other authors, or content creators that I can’t wait until the latest release of material.

Setting Physical Goals

Now, I am by no means a professional here when it comes to the art of setting goals. I’ve done a lot of reading over the past years since being diagnosed with Cancer on how to set goals, the proper way to develop positive habits. Funny thing is I read them, get motivated, try them and then fail to follow through. So, although someone else’s opinion on how to achieve goals my be helpful, I find they don’t have staying power and everyone else is going to have a different opinion on this and I hope you do, cause it’s you that has to set your own goals, the way you want to.

The way I go about it is try and keep it simple and not overwhelming. I’ll use an example with my physical workouts…easy to understand. I’ve always kind of been in and out of shape for a lot of my life, now after close to three years of living with cancer my belief is, cancer hates a strong body, so first off it’s important to rest and recharge. Trying to listen to what my body is trying to tell me and every day is different, so I don’t have a set routine where I’ll wake up and run or strength train. It revolves around my symptoms the days my stomach is acting up isn’t the day I’m going to head out for a jog, this guy isn’t up for a quick bush side trip if it can be avoided. If I need to run on those days, and yes I do need to run for mental health sake, those days I spend a light jog around the block, countless times, like a rat in a maze, but I know the bathroom isn’t far away. Those with Nueroendrocrine Cancer can relate to this, as I tend to know where the cleanest public bathrooms are in most cities I visit. That’s how I set my cardio/mental wellness goals…easy? Don’t like to run, go walk or hike just moving an getting outside can make small improvements in your overall health.

Another physical goal I set for myself was just the simple push-up, I wanted to do at least 100 a day. When I started this a couple months ago I just went for it and paid the price by trying to do many all at once, so I smartened up and started again at say 10 at a time, 10 times a day, then move to 20 at 5 times a day and before you know it 100 just isn’t enough and the body craves for more, because it wants to improve, be stronger adding physical and mental strength at the same time. The body is really a true marvel and isn’t happy when not challenged, again my belief and some of that does come from bits and pieces of books I’ve read, or certain podcasts. Podcast, hmmm that could be an interesting goal? That’s a quick look into how I tend to set physical type goals, keeping it simple, reasonable (to a point, I like to push myself), but based on how I feel that day. Setting out a month long training routine doesn’t work for this guy.

Setting Mental Health Goals

Ok, so first off I’m no Doctor once again this is all based on my experience and how I go about implementing these types of goals (wellness for the mind). The first thing I’d stay is don’t be afraid to break down and tell someone how you feel good or bad. I still have a hard time letting my support team know exactly how I feel and this will be a life long goal to always try and be open. I’m not always an easy guy to get along with and at least now I can recognize it and learn to deal with the issues I carry. Some of the goals I have created I keep in my journal and I don’t just start on January 1st and write down all my goals for the year, cause once again you set yourself up for failure and end up giving up and throwing the towel in on all your goals. Instead I enter new goals usually weekly or even daily depending how attainable they are. One of those goals is to keep a better running journal, I’ve been lacking, my memory slips and it’s a good refresher to go back and read over your own thoughts. Other goals would be to make sure I sit and be mindful for at least 10 minutes a day, take control of my thoughts and try to organize them. When being mindful (mediate) I can’t stop the thoughts pouring in, neither will you when you start, just slow them down, understand why they are there and move on. I attempt to file thoughts under certain headings in the mind and if there’s too many transfer over into the journal or sit again later in the day for another 10 minute session. Taking an hour to read or even just a chapter in a book, to keep my brain sharper, Cancer of any kind, the treatment and stress can put you in a fog and like I’ve said here before I’ve started many posts only too drawn of coarse. It would be like a ship sailing a vast expanse of water in the fog, wind from all directions, no landmarks and you’ve lost your compass. That would be how I describe what that feels like and can lead to serious anxiety, feelings of despair and hopelessness. Reading, Writing and puzzle books (that my wife kindly brought home), along with speaking to qualified professionals, along with support groups can minimize those feelings…staying engaged with life!! There is time to feel sorry for yourself, hell I never asked for this, but be proactive, talking about it (when your ready) and doing your best to life this one life you get goes a long way to helping your mental health, Cancer or not!

Little it of Travel

There is quite a bit more I could go on about setting goals, travel being a big one in our home, but everyones sense of travel is much different from one person to another, even mine and Tracys choice of travel is often much different. Sometimes we agree on places to go, other times we take separate vacations and I don’t blame her a lot of the places I want to go is probably more work then most people would like to do. That being said we always enjoy our time away together, as giving the diagnosis I have, we never now when the time may arrive when travel may be out of the question. I feel that’s a long way off, but it’s always in the back of my mind. Instead of writing about travel goals, I think I will just give trip reports here on the blog and therefore give you a little something different to read and something different for me to write. What I can tell you about upcoming trips is we have one planned for Mexico in the not to future and not a resort stay, instead we chose an AirBNB in Cancun. I’ve never travelled anywhere outside Canada or USA and I’m not a resort, sit around and drink all day type guy, so getting a more authentic feel of a different culture is more our route anyway and give me something inspiring to write about. Also my buddies and I have booked an Epic backcountry trip this year that will see us take a float plane into the remote vastness of Wabakimi Provincial Park and put our skills we’ve learned over the years to the test.

Just A quick update on me here, tomorrow Friday the 13th (nice) I go see the oncologist for the six month results, blood, urine, CAT scan, so ya the big one. People often ask me if I get nervous and after close to three years of this now, it starts to feel routine. Although sitting in the Doctors office, knowing what I already have, ya I still feel uncomfortable. I have great Doctors, Nurses and support team, so whatever happen we’ll deal and keep moving forward. Thanks for reading please continue to subscribe, like and comment, there’s also a five star rating at the top of the post, so consider that as well and be honest, can only learn from what you’ve done wrong.

Cheers, Steve