Adopt a victory-based mindset

Rather than looking at a big goal or resolution and being bummed that you’re far from it, why not take a closer look and see if there is something worth celebrating? That’s what one Montreal-based cyclist did in June when he realized he was only a third of the way to his goal of riding 7,500 km in 2021. “I might not make it, but I don’t feel bad about it,” he says. “My riding is more consistent than it’s ever been, so I’ll take that victory.”

“Motivation-wise, that goal was super useful, because it actually made him ride more,” Hadd says. “This is the importance of having realistic goals that are still challenging, and there’s always a super thin line between these two. The more you engage in goal setting, the more you’ll be able to say, ‘Yes, this is challenging enough while still being realistic.’ But you almost need goals like this one that don’t work out occasionally to show where those lines are. If you always achieve the goals you set, they may not be challenging enough.”

“Staying flexible is really important,” Bell says. “If your goal was to ride 10,000 km in the year, and on Dec. 31 at 11:59 p.m., you’re at 9,999 km, is that a failure? Not at all. We learn things along the way. Maybe you overshot your goal a little bit, but if your goal was too easy, it can be hard to stay motivated.”