It’s About Focus

I like new. I like new ideas, new projects, and new years. And this year is a whole lot of new. Not only is it a new year and a new decade (numerically), but it’s also a new stage in my life: I’m returning to work after nearly 8 months on disability. I’m hoping I have a new lease on life, too. I have very high expectations for this year, and decade.

During every Christmas break I outline my goals for the coming year. With a new year, decade, and lease on life, I was even more eager this Christmas to establish my goals for 2010. I learned a lot this past year about the importance of listening to warning signs and taking care of myself. I feel that if I can apply these learnings in the new year, starting with my goals, all the time and pain of this past year won’t have been for naught.

My 3 Goals for 2010

In his book The Power of Less, Leo Babauta explains that we should have just three goals per year. With more goals than 3, he argues, we aren’t able to stay focused and end up spreading ourselves too thin. I can certainly attest to that from my experience with previous years’ goals.

1. Run an Ultra (damn, I said it publicly again!)
2. Earn Mo’ Money (all these medical bills won’t pay for themselves)
3. Rock Family Time (wife, children, extended)

The fact that I’ve identified only 3 goals does not mean that I won’t do anything that doesn’t support at least one of them. It means focusing on a few goals is how I’ll make sure to accomplish some goals. There will be a whole slew of other things that I’ll need to continue to do (maintaining the house, for example).

Likewise, not identifying something as a goal doesn’t indicate that I’ve got it all figured out. It just means there are three other things I think need more work and will generate the biggest payoff for me. And who knows, I might get into this plan and scrap all 3 goals for new ones. It’s a work in progress.

With my 3 goals set I now need to make them more tangible and achievable with monthly and weekly goals. While it’s impossible for me to predict what my goals should be for all 52 weeks of the year right now (I haven’t even run a marathon let alone an Ultramarathon!) I can work backwards and put something down for monthly and weekly goals.

Goal 1. Run an Ultra.

An ultra is defined as any distance further than a marathon (26.2 miles). While 26.3 miles would technically qualify, it’s generally understood that a 50k (31 miles) is the shortest ultra race. So, I need to train for running 31 miles. And since I’m not interested in running on roads at all, these 31 miles will contain a fair amount of elevation.

The Ohlone 50k, a nearby and well managed trail race, is in May and is probably the one I should target. I won’t know if my body will be ready, though, for 2-3 more months yet. That’s the amount of time, on the short side, it’s likely to take to regain full use of my left calf (nerves sure hold grudges!). I’m going to start with a plan to get me to Ohlone and reassess my abilities and progress in March. If my body isn’t healing quickly enough, I’ll choose a late summer or Fall race instead and put a plan together for that one.

In order for me to get and remain fit, I will also need to maintain a healthy diet and get regular sleep of 8 hours a night. This will be difficult, especially while traveling. However, without my health, nothing else will work. It’s the foundation, and to be honest, the end. Running an ultra has to remain the means. There’s no glory for me in finishing an ultra but injuring myself (well, maybe a little, but definitely a very bad outcome).

Working backwards from May, when the Ohlone 50k is, here’s a draft training plan of what I’ll likely need to achieve each week to be ready:

Guidelines (what I’m going to have to remember)

• Don’t increase my total mileage, long run, or speed by more than 10% from week to week (this is a big one).
• My long run shouldn’t be more than 40-50% of my total weekly mileage.
• Don’t beat myself up if I don’t hit my total mileage or long run one week.
• 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise is far better than doing nothing.
• The plan is an estimate – it’s not 100% right for me, so I should be ok with some fluctuation and changes.
• If I can’t make it to the trails, I have to be ok with running out my door on the roads.
• Blogging about my running goals, achievements, and struggles will increase the chance that I actually reach my goals.

Goal 2. Earn Mo’ Money.

Short of robbing a bank and winning the lottery (and I hear you need to purchase a ticket to win the lottery – real bummer), the sources of more money will be work and possibly this blog. My best bet is getting a raise at work. Focusing on creating value for the firm is the smartest investment.

Having just started work again after 8 months, I can say that it’s going to take some time to get used to the routine again. It’s a culture shock, It often takes me a day to get my head back into game after a long weekend. I’m scared to do the math after being out for nearly eight months!

It’ll likely take me a month just to get into the swing of things. And that’s if my body holds up to the increased hours and stress of a full-time job. The truth is I have no idea how tiring my job will be. I haven’t been able to do that amount of work or interact with a team and clients for a long time.

But going into work with a game plan will surely help. Here’s my plan:

• Reacquaint myself with everyone at work and catch up on what’s happened.
• Take a reduced role for a couple of months.
• Read up on what the hell has happened in the business world (somebody said something about a recession? :).
• Practice being efficient with my time and effective in my value per hour (track my time using Palm Pre app).
• Identify the best areas where I can add value to the firm.

Goal 3. Rock Family Time.

With all of the above to do, family time could easily fall by the wayside. But family has to come first. This goal is not only about making sure I spend time with my family, but that I continue to also place them first in every way. It also has to be about both quantity and quality of time. Swooping in for an event with the family but not being around for “idle” time doesn’t cut it in my mind. I need to be there for the life that happens between scheduled events, too. I also need to help with family chores, to make dinner, clean up, and vacuum the floor, too (though my back might keep me from being able to do much vacuuming for awhile).

Traveling for work can make spending time with family difficult, especially on the quantity front. But Rocking Family Time isn’t just about spending time physically together. While I haven’t been good at connecting with the family on previous trip – I tend to get focused on work and forget about the rest of the world – I want to make sure I connect in special ways every day going forward.

Here are some specifics of what Rocking Family Time looks like in my mind:

Home

• Get home for dinner at least 3 weeknights per week.
• Make at least 3 meals per week (weekend breakfast included:).
• Clean up after dinner.
• Get back to doing yard work (light work to begin with, obviously).
• Read the girls a story and tuck them into bed at least a couple nights a week.
• Schedule family game nights regularly.

Traveling

• Leave notes for the girls and my wife before trips.
• Send text messages and photos between meetings.
• Schedule calls on my calendar to hear how the girls and my wife have been up to and what’s on their minds.
• Put a calendar and map up on the wall so the girls know what I’m up to and where I am.

Weekends

• Camp once a quarter.
• Go on a day-trip once a month to places like Napa, Point Reyes, Santa Cruz, Pinnacles, etc.
• Take a couple of long weekend trips (3-4 days) to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
• Explore new parks, towns, and areas of San Francisco as a family.
• Incorporate running destinations into family day trips
• Hike together as a family.

What are your goals for 2010?