Six big goals. Build and grow my business. Experience new places. Focus on my health and challenging myself in new ways. That was the plan for 2020 when I sat down in December 2019 and wrote out my goals using Cultivate What Matters Powersheets. And as we all know, 2020 was not going to go as planned for any of us. As I sit here, eleven months later, I can confidently say, all was not lost.

Here’s how I revised my goals and still found success.

Original Goal 5: Find right balance post surgery and with new meds.

In early December I had surgery to remove my thyroid. So, one of my goals was to focus on my health. I new I would need to listen to my body to determine if the new medication dose was working or not. I was scheduled to have a follow up appointment with the endocrinologist in March, about a week after the country went into lock down. My appointment was cancelled.

So I looked inward, I started listening to my body in ways I never had before. I could tell something was off. I did not feel like myself. But I couldn’t do anything about it. In order to determine how the medicine was working, I needed to get my blood drawn, and the labs were still closed. A blood test would only confirm what I already knew, something wasn’t right. Working on goal number 4 that was telling me everything I needed to know.

Original Goal 4: Set a new PR running a half marathon.

I have run a few half marathons in my life. And each time the goal was just finish. This year I wanted to actually set a time goal and beat it. {For my non-runner friends, a PR is a personal record.} So, this meant running the race faster than I ever had before. A mild winter had me outside training. I started with just running 3 miles, a distance I typically have no problem running. But this time was different. About a mile into the run I was exhausted. I could not complete my typical 3 mile loop without walking several times. The changes in my body from surgery was impacting my stamina. I felt so defeated. With all the labs and doctor’s offices closed, I could not find out what was going on. On top of that, races were being cancelled. It was starting to look like my half marathon goal was not going to happen this year.

This goal started to shift when I had the opportunity to rent a spin bike from my spin studio, Inner Cycle. I jumped on it, both literally and figuratively. I realized my half marathon goal was really about pushing myself and staying fit. Previously I would take a spin class once or twice a week. Now, with a spin bike in my living room, and the opportunity to live stream classes, I was spinning 4 or 5 days a week. And I was loving it! I felt myself getting stronger. This is when goal number 5 shifted. And goal 4 never really went away, it just will be revisited next year.

Revised Goal 4 & 5: Adopt new healthy habits.

Original Goal 6: Visit new places locally and internationally.

Mexico in March and Paris in May. 2020 was going to be a year of travel and experiencing new places. I was so excited! And then, checking the internet nearly daily, it became clear Mexico wasn’t going to happen. And not long after, I was notified our Paris flights were cancelled. 2020 was not going to be the year of travel after all.

But I didn’t want my goal to be a total loss.

So, I asked myself why did I want to travel? What was the purpose? For me, travel has always been about experiencing new places, learning about other cultures and digging into the history of the area. How could I do that from my couch? I realized I could still learn about other places through documentaries. Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ were ripe with options.

I started with Lost Treasures of the Maya from National Geographic (watch on Disney+). I started Netflix’s Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb. And I watched a lot of House Hunters: International. I learned about numerous countries and cultures. I got a taste of travel from the comfort of my couch. And even Emily in Paris gave me a taste of what out trip might have been like.

Revised Goal 6: Visit and learn about new places locally and internationally.

There are three questions that 2020 has prompted me to ask when I set my goals;

• What am I trying to accomplish really?
• Is this an action step or the goal itself?
• If you couldn’t accomplish this goal, what would you do instead?

These are three questions I will ask of myself every time I set a goal.

I have learned to look inward, to really dig deep and determine what I am striving for when I set a goal. Achieving goals in 2020 has not gone as planned. But it has not been a total loss. And as I start to think about goals for 2021, I am confident the experiences of the past year will call me to set bigger, stronger, and bolder goals.