My past goals when I started training this year were:
- Don’t die
- Stay off the floor
- Lose weight
I have very much succeeded in all three in the last six months!
These are my goals
Goal 1
I want to stretch daily. Every once in awhile I skip a day. For five days starting December 1, I don’t want to skip a day of stretching if I can possibly help it.
Details
After years of not exercising, I need to gain flexibility. Especially at my age (44) I will be less prone to injury if I am diligent about stretching. Stretching daily after walking the dog is something I already do, but I need to be a little more consistent – I sometimes skip a day or two per week! You can find a good routine here.
How would I know that I have achieved this goal?
- Stretch every day from December 1 to December 5
Why and how is this goal important to me
If I can achieve this goal, it will help me remember that I can be more consistent with my exercise routine and I can find the time to do it!
I’d feel relieved that I’ve done something to help prevent injury and happy that I accomplished something.
If I failed, I might be injured in class or on the 4-hour Karate seminar coming up on Dec 6. That would be embarrassing and painful!
How I intend to kickstart this goal
- I will try to do this immediately after walking the dog each morning, but if that doesn’t work out, I can always find time either at home or before or after my usual classes at the YMCA
Deadline to get started: 01.12.2014
Potential obstacles to achieving my goal
- Phone, barking dog, sick kid, phone calls from school, errands
How I will overcome the obstacles
Us mothers are good at juggling. I haven’t been a mother for 18 years (if you count pregnancy) for nothing! I’m confident in achieving my goals.
Goal 2
I want to be able to do five consecutive good (planked) pushups on December 5
Details
I’ve been training since early June and I still can’t do ten decent pushups! I’m making progress, but it’s slow. There are two ways to go about this. One is to be a smart-aleck, prankster, and all-around goofball in class and be assigned a bazillion pushups as discipline. As much fun as this would be (the being a cutup part, not the pushups part), I like and respect my Senseis and fellow students, so I won’t do it. Besides, we only have class twice a week and I have to make the most of it. I think a better way would be to start and follow the program on Hundred Pushups.
How would I know that I have achieved this goal?
- I will be able to do the pushups without going onto my knees
Why and how is this goal important to me
It’s pretty embarrassing that after six months of training, I can’t do ten good pushups. Sometimes our Senseis want us to do pushups because the class as a whole has failed in something or we as individuals merit it. Sometimes pushups are part of warming up before class.
If I succeed, I’m going to be happy that it took only a very short time to achieve this goal!
If I fail or never get started, I’m going to stay stuck – everything else I’ve tried hasn’t worked very well.
How I intend to kickstart this goal
- I will try to do this immediately after walking the dog each morning, but if that doesn’t work out, I can always find time either at home or before or after my usual classes at the YMCA
Deadline to get started: 01.12.2014
Potential obstacles to achieving my goal
- Phone, barking dog, sick kid, phone calls from school, errands
How I will overcome the obstacles
Us mothers are good at juggling. I haven’t been a mother for 18 years (if you count pregnancy) for nothing! I’m confident in achieving my goals.
Goal 3
I want to be able to do 25 consecutive situps on December 5
Details
I can do leg-lifts until the cows come home (I once got bored at about 80), but situps? Somehow my current exercise routine just isn’t cutting it. I found out the pushup site I mentioned aboe has a situp site at Start and follow the program on Two Hundred Sit Ups. YAY! Now I can start that too.
How would I know that I have achieved this goal?
- I will be able to do the situps easily on December 5
Why and how is this goal important to me
Sometimes situps are a part of our warmup for Karate class. I’d like to keep up with the other students. Upper abs take a beating when we spar, so I need to be strong!
I’d like to succeed because I love to be able to be confident in my ability to take a punch!
If I failed, I run a greater risk of injury in class.
How I intend to kickstart this goal
- Test to see how many situps I can do and follow the exercises on Two Hundred Sit Ups
Deadline to get started: 01.12.2014
Potential obstacles to achieving my goal
- Phone, barking dog, sick kid, phone calls from school, errands
How I will overcome the obstacles
Us mothers are good at juggling. I haven’t been a mother for 18 years (if you count pregnancy) for nothing! I’m confident in achieving my goals.
Goal 4
I want to be able to “bounce” in fighting stance for five minutes on Dec 5 (add a minute each day) without breathing too hard. Throw one combination of three techniques every thirty seconds.
Details
My sparring skills have never been anything to write home about, and part of that is poor endurance. I still find myself tensing my shoulders every now and then, so I need to work on that. I’ve come up with a goal of my own:
I want to be able to “bounce” in fighting stance for five minutes by Dec 5 (add a minute each day) without breathing too hard. In addition to bouncing, I want to throw one combination of three techniques every thirty seconds.
How would I know that I have achieved this goal?
- I will be able to simulate sparring for five minutes without collapsing in a panting heap
Why and how is this goal important to me
Kumite is a key component of karate. It’s very important I build up my endurance. Typical tournament fights last for two minutes. Typical class fights – somewhere between two and five minutes.
If I succeeded in getting my endurance up, I can focus more on learning!
If I never succeed, I will not be tapped for promotion anytime soon.
How I intend to kickstart this goal
- Start by bouncing for one minute, add one minute every day. Throw combinations of three techniques at the punching bag every thirty seconds.
Deadline to get started: 01.12.2014
Potential obstacles to achieving my goal
- Phone, barking dog, sick kid, phone calls from school, errands
How I will overcome the obstacles
Us mothers are good at juggling. I haven’t been a mother for 18 years (if you count pregnancy) for nothing! I’m confident in achieving my goals.
