How do you feel sir? I feel amazing!

What price do you pay to achieve your goals?

I had just crossed the finish line of the Seattle Rock & Roll half marathon. Adrenaline was pumping given the 12 weeks of training that allowed me to achieve one of my goals for 2009. Running a 5k in a sub 8 minute mile is nothing easy, but I managed to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) at that pace. I got my medal, a bottle of water and a race volunteer asked “how do you feel sir?” Without hesitation and to her surprise, I told her I felt amazing.

I’m a driven person and at time set some ridiculous goals (e.g. trying to finish ‘08 NYC marathon in under 4 hours), both at home and at work. As I reflect on the first half of 2009, I sit here in shock. I’m in shock because of all the goals I’ve cross off my list and for all the ones I’ve made tremendous progress on. Last year at this time, I was just getting started with my personal goals. I let my work consume me and sacrificed my personal goals to meet my professional/business goals. I’ve heard disappointment in so many people’s voices this week that half the year is gone. I hate to break it to everyone, but time has been moving at the same pace for billions of years. Abraham Lincoln said it best: “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Well I know looking back over just the past six months there was a lot of life in them.

As I continue my encouragement that you should each of goals in writing with action plans, I want you to remember to be realistic. Push yourself, but not so much that in achieving your goal you miss the fun in it. Also, take the biggest challenge and try to balance both personal and professional goals. In 2002, I canceled on a hike to climb Mt. Whitney (highest peak in the lower 48 states) so that I could work 32 hours over the weekend to fix a problem with one of our airplanes. At the end of the year, it was disappointing to not be able to cross off one of my top goals because I had a few extra dollars in my bank account.

Some say you must have balance, others say it is BS. I believe it’s a constant journey in readjusting ourselves to stay on course. Are you happy with what you’ve accomplished the first six months of 2009? If not, take time from the extra day this weekend to create a six month plan for the rest of this year. You’re not alone and if you want help let me know. I promise, in all that I’ve accomplished in the last six months I did not do it alone.

One person has already asked me for help. I’d like to ask you to check out the Leadership is a Verb blog. It’s authored by retired Boeing employee and friend of mine, John Bishop. If you like what you read, please vote for John’s blog in the Best of Leadership Blogs 2009.