Goals – Looking To 2022

I prefer to sit down and create goals for myself each year. I take those goals and I pick large goals and then break those larger goals down into mini-goals that I may break down into quarterly goals, depending on what those goals may be. To me, if I sit down and create “resolutions”, I tend to fail more often than not.

Goals Vs Resolutions

The term resolutions seem to have a negative connotation to it. I am a very driven person, but if I get into a negative headspace, I tend to spiral and then it’s over before it began.

Now, I am going to share a few of my goals for 2022 with you here. I tend to reassess my goals and modify them as the year goes on, and not all are “year-long” goals.

Running Goals

Sub 2 Hour Half-Marathon

Prior to the pandemic, I had run my second marathon and then nursed a plantar fasciitis injury sidelining me for the majority of the rest of 2019. I did have the goal to run a 2:10 half-marathon in May 2020, but I think we all know what happened. Something about a pandemic or something 😉

I wound up with sin splints during the lockdown in the Spring of 2020 and battled those for the rest of the year. When the Victoria Half-Marathon was announced as an in-person event in October 2021, I knew this would be my chance and I trained for a 2:05-2:10 half. And then I was in a car accident three weeks before the race. 

My half-marathon PR is coming in 2022. At this point, I don’t know if the in-person Vancouver First-Half will go ahead as we’re in the midst of new restrictions until at least the end of January. However, I do know that since my friend Derek and I have a bet on me acc, that I will go for it regardless.

You heard it here first: I will complete a February half-marathon in under two hours.

Sub 5 Hour Full-Marathon

If the world doesn’t implode, I intend on travelling to California to run my third full-marathon in December. The Chicago marathon was supposed to be my lucky number three marathon, but I just wasn’t sure about travelling there next year.

I know so many people that I’d love to meet in person that will be running Chicago, but I was on a time crunch and I just couldn’t pull the trigger. However, I don’t have to sign up for the CIM until Sping. If I don’t feel good about it, I’ll sign up for the Victoria marathon.

Both of my marathons were failures. But I’ll be happy with anything sub 5 hours. I still want that sub 4:45, but I’ll be happy with anything at all under five hours.

Run Injury Free

A goal I set for myself last year, and while I did achieve it leg-wise, the whole car accident thing has been a pain to deal with. Now, I do understand that was completely outside the realm of my control, my overall goal is to run pain-free shoulder and back-wise.

So watch out 2022, because I am crushing my physio exercises and stretches, so pain-free 2022 here I come!

Work Goals

Freelancing

I’m not going to lie, but 2021 was rough for freelancing. Two deaths in the family, plus the flooding, ate up most of this year for me. The goals this year were fierce, but I’m learning to just roll with it.

I will crush freelancing in 2022. You heard it here first!

Blog

I definitely didn’t give my blog the love that it deserved this past year. But that is all going to change. Blogmas has put me through the wringer, but it’s also re-sparked my love of writing and creating content.

Family

My goal is to be more present and active with my family. Now, obviously, a lot of that was put on hold this year as BC was in lockdown for the first five months of the year and we needed to be vaccinated before we could see my husband’s grandparents. Y’all – they’re in their late nineties so neither of us was messing around.

We do have a planned family trip this year, but that is currently on hold notice as Canada has implemented a travel advisory once again. I hope we can do that. It would be nice to do a family trip and spend some time together after all these months of isolation.

Travel

Well, we all know that this is a ballsy category to have on a goals list, and I get that. But, it’s good to have goals and if COVID stands in the way, then we try again in 2023!

California

We live on the West Coast of Canada, and California is an easy trip for us. So, this ties into my marathon goal, where I want to run the California Internation Marathon (CIM) in December. As huge San Francisco 49er fans, we of course hope to hit up a football game. We wanted to do that this year, buttttttt it just didn’t pan out.

Seattle & Portland

Easy road trip cities for us, but it all depends on whether the border stays open, and if they bring back the 72-hour exemption for PCR tests to re-enter Canada. I’m not paying a couple of hundred dollars for a test to get back into my country.

Both cities are good for food, shopping and drinks. Portland is our favourite, but sometimes the 3-hour drive to Seattle is far easier than the 5.5-hour drive to Portland.

Toronto

I haven’t seen my family in Toronto since 2019. I miss them immensely, and both my cousin and I both had big birthdays this year and we haven’t been able to see each other. We’re the same person, five years apart, who grew up on opposite sides of the country.

My dad’s siblings aren’t getting any younger. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that life can be too short. I’d rather fly to them, isolate myself if needed, and spend a ton of time with them.

Hawaii

We have a family trip planned to Hawaii with my in-laws and nieces. We feel less positive that this trip is going to go ahead, but fingers crossed. I think it’s the vacation we all need. Plus, I’ve never been to Hawaii and am very much looking forward to exploring volcanoes!

Mexico

I mean, with the current travel advisory in place, it’s not something that is necessarily in the cards for this Winter. However, I am open to heading down at the end of this year, but we do prefer to go in Jan/Feb when it’s super gloomy and short days up here.

This is where my parents reside, so I would love to be able to get down there and visit with them.

Goal Wrap Up

These are some of my high-level goals and they will be reassessed as I complete them or see if changes need to be made. I mean, I do think I may wind up getting a part-time job to help bring in a steady income as I build up my client base and referrals.

Obviously, as the pandemic transpires and evolves, some of these may be out of my control. But what’s life without some goals? Goals aren’t always going to be met, and it’s what continues to drive us forward and recreate goals.

What are some of your goals this coming year?