Reaching your goals in 2013

By the time most of you read this piece, 2012 will be just a memory.

Everyone goes through fitness ups-and-downs over the course of a 12-month period. I certainly did myself this year. It was a busy one, with planning a wedding and attending another advanced module among keeping up with my classes and training regime.

But, in 12 hours, 2012 will be gone. The ball will drop on New York City. The Kardashians and Snooki will be in the news every other day for being too tan. ESPN will continue to ride the coattails of Alabama and Peyton Manning, even though Notre Dame and Tom Brady will have plenty to say about it. Tim Tebow will be looking for a new home.

With all that comes a new year. A new year also means new fitness goals. If your 2012 goals weren’t reached, now is the time to put focus on the coming year.

Yes, some of my personal goals weren’t reached in the last year. But that should only drive your focus through the roof. Work harder to run that first 5K, qualify for the Boston Marathon, attend that first BodyPump class, or if your a seasoned instructor, sign up for an advanced module.

One of my personal goals for 2013 is to get back into competitive running, and tie that into my BodyPump career. The running thing was put on hiatus when the BodyPump thing happened a couple of years ago, but a fellow runner told me at a recent road race that “you have the upper body strength to own hills.”

A friend of mine stated to me that once the new year commences, so does his training for the Sugarloaf Marathon in May. The accompanying 15K will hopefully put my stamp on my return to the competitive running world. It will all start with a new pair of shoes, which will be procured in the coming weeks thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my mother in law. That’s where it all starts for most people, with a simple pair of shoes.

I must say, quite a few of my BodyPump participants reached their goals over the last year as well. Quite a few of them look stronger than ever, and they improve every time they step into that room. I never thought I could teach a class without having to demonstrate a clean and press!

For our gym, Union Street Athletics, having two instructors – Scott and myself – go to and complete AIM II is a tremendous accomplishment. I honestly don’t know if any other instructors from Maine have gone to such a module. It speaks volumes about not only the talent we have at our gym, but statewide. The changes we made in 2012 will only make us better instructors in 2013 and well beyond.

The challenges that 2013 bring remain to be seen. But if you don’t step up to the plate and challenge yourself, you’re going to be left saying what if. If you step up and break more barriers, you’ll start to see the results, inside and out. The goals don’t have to be big. Start small and work your way up.

Happy New Year!

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.