I didn’t set out to be a goal getter when the pandemic lockdown started in March of 2020, I simply started running as a way to calm my mind, benefit my body, and help process everything around me. I started running as a much-needed outlet and for the first time in my life, I was being given the gift of TIME to try.

I started running without a goal in mind, other than a small sliver of something for MYSELF. But, fast forward to twenty months later and I have now (willingly) faced one of the biggest challenges of my life- completing my first New York City Marathon.

 The top five tips for any goal getter that comes to mind when I wrapped my mind around this massive goal was to:

• Be Passionate- This tip is the KEY to any success in my opinion. Having passion about what you are doing makes all of the difference in the world in HOW it is accomplished. The New York City Marathon is always difficult to get into but this year, even more so with the only opportunity to enter being through a charitable organization. Luckily, my daughter’s school had a slot available and they needed a runner. My passion points were multiplying by benefiting my daughter with special needs, bringing a feel-good fund-raising component for a very worthy cause, all while practicing my new found love of running.

• Be Clear- Cut through the “noise” and be clear with what you want to accomplish. This is the ultimate “Why.” Why are you doing this? This helps to weed out unnecessary information and distractions. My goal was to enjoy the race – to really feel every moment of the race.  Everyone kept asking me how fast I wanted to run but I was not in it for the time. I wanted to finish the race and enjoy every moment.

• Find Support– No matter how passionate you are, some goals are just HARD. Finding positive support systems to get you to the right places (and hold you accountable) are especially important in NEW challenges. I have always been an extremely driven and independent person, but, over the years I’ve learned that support is what gets you through the hard times.  For the marathon, having a running buddy to talk about the tedious training was critical.  Similarly, in business, having a mentor who you can gain insight and inspiration from will help smooth out the rough patches and get you through difficult decisions.

• Be (Realistically) Optimistic- A good goal should always be a bit of a dream- something that you yearn to accomplish. Of course, it should also be realistic. The reality sets in when you plan out HOW you are going to achieve that goal. But once you have planned, then comes the rest of the P-words that help you get to where you want to be: pushing, practicing, persevering, praying, passion…and the list goes on. When a goal is really a dream- you find new places to pull from that you didn’t know existed- truly stretching toward where you were meant to be.

• Be Kind- Kindness was another huge learning in becoming a goal getter and setting a goal I never knew I wanted to accomplish. I have always valued kindness but tended to silo it toward friendships and human interactions with others. But in the framework of goals (personal and business), the main reminder was to be kind to myself. One of the hardest parts of stretching for a dream goal is to not give up. Having compassion for yourself and learning what others have struggled through truly help you to achieve what you thought might be unachievable. Without kindness, many goals will be forgotten and left behind. Of course many can achieve goals without this component (many have, and many will continue to) but that is not the kind of dream that I am looking to achieve.

We will be sure to MEET all of you goal getters at the finish line with all of our kindness, optimism, support, clarity, and passion!