This yoga challenge taught me just as much about setting goals as it did about yoga
By: Caitlin Elizabeth Harper
Tags: Professional Development, Resolutions, Yoga, Practice, Goals

This yoga challenge taught me just as much about setting goals as it did about yoga Caitlin Elizabeth Harper Jan 14, 2020·4 min read

Like most people who teach other people how to set and achieve goals, I am insufferable in January.

“Set goals, not resolutions!” “Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound!” “Start small; don’t try to change everything at once!” “Find a friend — you’ll build accountability and community!” “Make sure the goal you’re making is something you actually want!”

In my little notebook, I have my own SMART goals set out. Years ago, I had to list each one out with the acronym (my old journals were very “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” for sure), but now it comes more naturally; every goal is a SMART goal. But when I set goals, I don’t just strike out with an end goal in mind; I’m trying to change a thinking pattern or behavior. When I set writing goals, it’s not just “write 1,000 words a day”. I think about why I’m setting that goal (I want to finish my novel), when I’m going to do it (preferably in the morning or after dinner), what is stopping me from doing this naturally and causing me to have to set this goal (the soul-crushing burden of being a writer, the ache of knowing most of my words will be deleted anyway, the knowledge that everything we do on earth is futile and we’re all specks of dust…), how I’m going to celebrate each day (probably candy, don’t judge me), etc. I’ve set (and achieved!) many goals and helped others do the same, but Adriene Mishler puts me to shame.

I’ve gotten into yoga more and more over the past two years and for all of 2019, I’d say I practiced regularly, at least once a week. I definitely got stronger and more flexible, but the most important thing is that it allows me to focus on only one thing while I’m doing it. I have chronic back pain, weird breathing issues, and anxiety. Yoga hasn’t cured any of this, but it helps. And it’s fun!

My yoga partner, Squeaky.

I was looking for an at-home yoga practice on Youtube one day and came across a Yoga With Adrienne video. It was a good practice, the video was clean and calm, and she has a cute dog, so I did a few more. Then I saw Home, her 30-day yoga journey. Yoga for 30 days straight? Could I…? And I wanted to (this is actually a huge reason why people have graveyards of goals that they haven’t achieved…because they decided on something they thought they should want rather than what they really wanted).

Adriene is the ultimate community leader and saleswoman. Not that she is “sales-y” by any stretch of the imagination. She just keeps people wanting to come back! She’s funny and kind, the videos are the perfect length, and she builds on the journey day by day. Home is the perfect SMART goal. It’s Specific: follow along with one yoga video every day during the challenge. Measurable: did you get to the end of the video? Congrats! You can check off that day. Achievable: they’re less than 30 minutes and you can do them at home. Seriously, skip one episode of The Office on Netflix and do a yoga video instead. Relevant: who doesn’t want to get stronger and healthier? Did I mention the cute dog? Time-bound: you only have to do it for 30 days!

But because I’m trying to influence my behavior and thinking, I’m taking it a bit further. I read her email in the morning so I can get pumped for the practice she’s prepared for us. When she mentions the thousands of people around the world participating in the challenge, I really do think of them and the fact that we’re all doing this together. I text my friend Olivia who is also doing the challenge and we share our thoughts on the practice. I can already feel the shift in my behavior and thinking after just over a week: I could do yoga every day and I want to do it every day (it helps that she has multiple 30-day challenges and about a million videos, so I really could just go on forever). I’m getting better at something I care about that makes me feel good and I get to check something off of my to-do list in my crazy-lady notebook — it’s a win win.

But goals aren’t just about checking off boxes (even though that feels so good). They’re about changing your behavior and thinking so you get what you want out of life. Want to set your own goals, defeat impostor syndrome, and more? Join me for an upcoming workshop.