From Steph Bartlem (from her Blog Steph_Mlbn, go check it out!!)   Winston Churchill once said "success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm," but I disagree. I believe that success consists of the sum of many much smaller successes - you just have to choose to see it that way. The CrossFit Open 2016 is coming, *eeek* - in fact it is just over one month away!! Have you thought about what you would like to achieve? What lessons did you learn from last year? Or, is this your first ever open? If you're not sure what the Open is all about you can find everything you need to know here. I urge anyone who is thinking about partaking for the first time to give it a go - it is a great opportunity to see how you fit in with the rest of the world, areas of your fitness which need attention or work all the while taking on some fun and exciting wods in a great atmosphere. Even though this will be my fourth Open season it still manages to sneak up on me every single time. This means that usually I'm trying to set my goals for the following Open almost as soon as the season is over. This year my goal was to simply *be able to compete*. Sounds simple enough but trust me it has been a journey.

CrossFit Open 13.5 | Skill Level 3 Months

CrossFit Open 14.4 | Skill Level 13 Months

CrossFit Open 15.5 | Skill Level Injured & Judging Beyhali Image : Niki Platis

. Goals are funny things. Quite often we put a goal out into the universe as a single entity, almost as if we are wishing upon a star. I certainly believe that for some, just saying it out load is enough to set them on a path to success, however for me it takes planning, thought and most of all - time. I have learnt that the longer and rougher the journey, the more rewarding the end result. If you enjoy the process and you work hard on the framework the results will come.

So lets break it down a little.....

  In order to achieve success with your goals, there are some simple steps you can follow. After that it is up to you to put in the work and follow your own path. 1. Take the time to write your goals down. Make them enjoyable to look at and put them in your diary, on your fridge or pin them up at work. Somewhere you can see them everyday. 2. Next it is important to work out when you would like to achieve your goals by. Some will be short term and some will be longer term but make them realistic. If you happen to achieve your goal quicker than your decided time frame you are ALWAYS going to feel better about that than if your date comes and goes without success. In fact you are going to feel like a boss - and so you should, you've worked hard for it!! 3. Grab yourself a calendar. Break up the year into quarters or months or weeks - whatever helps you to visualise your timeline. This is a great way of helping you decide whether the dates you have decided on are achievable. If not go back to step 2 and repeat. 4. Start pencilling your goals into that calendar and start working out the steps you will need to take in order to make your goals a reality. If you're not sure what they are then ask - this is one of the best times to get advice! You can take this as far as working out what you need to do daily I believe that for shorter term goals (or some that may have crept up on you) this kind of planning can be invaluable. 5. Tell someone your goal. If you haven't done this in step 4 then now is the time. Say it with pride too, goals are nothing to be shy or embarrassed about, we all have them and we should be proud that we are trying to achieve something new! 6. Tick off your successful steps. Each of these steps can be defined as minor goals that lead you to your major goal. Celebrate each and every one of them. .

Most of all, above all else - set yourself up for success!

. As a coach this saying has become my mantra. Not only for myself but for my clients. Nothing makes me happier than to see someone give a workout their all and be completely spent and satisfied at the end of it, but this comes down to being honest with yourself, your abilities and your body. Setting your own goals is no different. You have to create a honest and deliberate path in order to follow it all the way to the end. In saying this it is most important to remember why you're here, what brought you here and why you started. Goals are wonderful things, they can set your journey into motion - fitness or otherwise. Work as hard as you possibly can to achieve them, but don't let them define you. If, for whatever reason, you don't achieve your goal this time - you have not failed.

. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!

Embrace these times. How you handle them, cope with them and then use them will define the next chapter in your journey. It is also important to remember that this doesn't just apply to CrossFit, this is true for every aspect of life. Hard times and road blocks come in a variety of different forms, they will change your path but more often than not it is a blessing in disguise. . This is your opportunity to reassess, set yourself on a new path using the knowledge which you have just gained. That is a success in itself. We are always learning new things about ourselves along the way - what works and what doesn't. They help to keep us honest, know and understand our weakness and what we did wrong so that we can use them to our advantage. (or work on them until they are no longer weaknesses.). Ultimately when it comes down to it are we all here putting our minds and bodies to the test everyday to be able to say that we can do a muscle-up or a 100kg snatch? These are obviously amazing achievements but no, realistically we are here to be healthy, awesome, strong humans who hopefully can stay out of nursing homes, tie their own shoes, get off the toilet by themselves and live full, active lives for as long as possible. This is the ultimate end goal.

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Ta, Steph.

  Guys if you are wanting  / needing any help with setting some goals (or you already have them but don't know where to start) then hit up a Coach or email karl@crossfitcbd.com to set up a meeting with a Coach to get you started!!