2018 arrives tomorrow and I’m totally pumped for the year ahead.

Goals are a funny set of ideals that take on lives of their own. Some fall by the wayside and others really motivate you to achieve the desired success.

The key is to know what you can and can’t control so that expectations can be realistic.

Some goals you can directly effect (in your control), others need a degree of luck to ensure success (out of your control).

Types of Goals

Process goals help you achieve the larger picture goals also known as Outcome goals.

Process goals are things you can control like;

  • Training plans
  • Food choices
  • Sleep
  • FTP number (within reason)

Outcome goals are often aspiration and a successful effort relies upon lots of things falling into place. For example, if one of my aims in 2018 is to win a race, lots of factors outside of my control have to go my way.

However, by nailing my process goals, I’ll be giving myself the best chance of success. I see it as keeping my side of the deal and doing everything within my control to maximise my odds.

Failure of these outcome goals, don’t mean total failure. The fact that there are external forces at play means you can’t live or die by these goals. You just have to do your best via process goals.

2017

This past year has been packed with goals of all types.

I kicked off the year with the sole outcome goal of completing the Arctic Circle Race. Without the diligence applied to my training and technique (process goals) in the months leading up to the event, my outcome goal would not have been completed.

Ollie, Slatts and Stan Arctic Circle Race 2017

Attention to detail with the process goals enabled my outcome goal to be realised in Greenland.

Short Term Goals

Shortly after returning from Greenland and hanging up my Nordic skis (for the time being), I focused on my first full season of racing my road bike.

Goals were very much short term for a few reasons. The main reason was that I simply wanted to go into the races to gather experience without heaping expectation on myself.

It became apparent that I could progress through the race categories if I applied myself. Therefore my outcome goals were to win enough points to elevate me from Category 4 to 3 within the 2017 season.

Ollie win at Hillingdon

A few spills, a few top 10’s and a couple of wins was enough to see me climb the ranks.

Free styling

Now that my goal had been achieved I was ‘free’ to go for it and just see what could be done. Could I get to Cat 2 in the same year? if not, nothing was lost. The lack of pressure or expectancy enabled me to race without fear and it put me in a strong mental position. Ultimately, I would gain my slot in Cat 2.

2018 will have it’s own mix of process and outcome goals.

Having resurrected our RAAM team (RAAM Roses) we are heading out to Race Around Austria in August in preparation for Race Across America in June 2019.

I have goals for my Cat 2 season which are relatively conservative. Having two kids and being so committed with my businesses and charity role, there is only so much expectation I can place upon myself.

Here’s my 2017 in numbers. It doesn’t really mean much or represent anything significant. The key metrics I focus on are power and weight.

Good luck for your 2018 and enjoy setting those goals!