The 3 Rs: Recharge, Reset, Restart
Have you ever hit a goal but then soon after found yourself in a funk? We’re diving into the three steps we need to take after accomplishing a goal before starting up again with a new one.
I learned these steps the hard way after qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon in 2016. It was a goal I had worked toward for years, so my focus, my training, and a part of my life were all dedicated to seeing it through. After the race was over, and I was back home, I started feeling down. I was in a funk because I never really thought past running Boston. I had no immediate goals, no motivation, and I sunk a bit low.
What’s Next?
We need to formulate a plan for once our goal that we’ve been working toward and putting all our focus in is complete. As I reflected on what happened after Boston, I formulated a plan to never let that happen again.
I refer to these steps as the 3 Rs:
- Recharge: Recover and Refuel
- Reset: Set a New Goal
- Restart: Get Going Again
Step 1: Recharge
Once you have achieved your goal, it’s time to recharge. After you work really hard toward a goal, sometimes burn out can happen, or sometimes you need recovery – your body and mind need time to recover.
During that recovery time, during that recharge, you want to focus on a few things. You want to focus on refueling your mind. You want to focus on refueling your body. And you want to focus on refueling your spirit. That is recharge, recovering, just settling back in and getting ready to launch again.
Refueling your mind is essential because when a goal is complete, doubt can still creep in and try to take you out. Just because you hit your goal, doesn’t mean you stop there. You need to take time to recharge your mind and keep things positive. Our minds are like a computer, and we need to continually program them to think the way we want. What we put in is what will come out. Taking time to recharge our mind is key after accomplishing a goal.
Refueling your body is just as crucial. If you finished a marathon, part of recharging is ensuring you’re replenishing the nutrients that depleted during your run. Refueling with real food is important after a race. You don’t want to deprive your body of the nutrients and vitamins it needs to stay healthy and strong. A marathon takes pretty much all the fuel you have, so naturally it needs to be replaced.
Maybe you were striving toward a goal and needed to sacrifice sleep for a period of time. You were running on just a few hours of sleep a night so you could have the time you needed to make things happen. Your body physically will need to recharge with rest.
Recharging our spirit is necessary as well. Our spirit is where our passion sprouts. It’s where we find our hope and drive. Our giftings come from our spirit, and we need to be protective of that. We need to take time to reflect on how we got to our goal. What did it take to accomplish it? Was there any sacrifice involved? Did we learn anything through it? How did we grow?
Step 2: Reset
After you hit a goal, it’s time to reset. In essence, reset means finding a new goal. It’s important to reset because without a goal, there is no purpose or drive, and it can have a negative effect.
Like I shared earlier, after I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time, I didn’t take the time to reset and consequently spiraled down into a form of depression. I had worked so hard toward that goal. The training was grueling. That specific goal was on my mind all the time. It wasn’t my life, but it was a close second. There was great sacrifice to see it through. I lived and breathed getting to that finish line.
Achieving the goal was a culmination of years of training. After it was all said and done, I was kind of lost. Without purpose, there isn’t passion. There isn’t drive without purpose. If we don’t reset and decide what comes next, then we are prone to complacency. We may end up getting comfortable and not wanting to leave that zone.
Step 3: Restart
It’s ok to take time to recharge and celebrate a victory, but once we refuel and reset with a new mission, it’s time to get going! A goal isn’t accomplished solely by thinking about it. It takes action. We need to put our plan into motion and get to work. A goal is simply a wish without a plan and action to back it up. We have to be willing to work. Our journey is never finished. We hit a goal and move onto the next, and it’s a stairway that leads to our larger pursuits or calling. We need to be willing to continually make the climb.
Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. — Ralph Marston, America writer.
FINAL STRETCH
After we accomplish a goal, and after the celebration is over, we need to remember the 3 Rs: Recharge, Reset, Restart. Each step is a necessity after a victory. Don’t leave one of them out. All three work together to set you up for your next success. Which one is easiest for you? Which one is more difficult to remember to do? Share with me in the comments below.
Remember, you are a winner. Just run YOUR race!
