It's the last day of Goal Week on lululemon. To end the week, we wanted to remind you that failing is part of the process. Here's Matt with more on why you should embrace your failures.

when failing is fun

One of the most common reasons why people don’t set goals is because they are scared of failing. However, this fear of failure, and failure itself, should be embraced rather than rejected. “Failing” is actually a really positive thing in setting and achieving your goals. Here are three helpful things I remind myself of when I sit down to set goals or when I am reviewing my goals:

1) Fear is an indicator that we are doing something remarkable.
Stepping out of our comfort zone means we are stretching ourselves; we are going after something we really want or something that will really impact our life. Focusing solely on the fear distracts us from the remarkable results our goals will bring about. Use that fear as a motivator rather than a detractor.

2) Failing sometimes takes you off a path you never really wanted to be on.
Sometimes we set goals towards things we don’t really want. Not achieving that goal allows us to evaluate what we were going towards, or how we were going about getting there. It could be the end goal that needs tweeking, or it could be the approach we were taking to tackle that goal.

3) Setting a goal and falling short, is still better than not trying at all.
Your life without goals will remain pretty static over time. Setting an inspiring goal will immediately set you on a path of trial and error towards something great. Bumps along the way are to be expected, so just keep holding on! When it comes time to look back and see what you’ve accomplished, you’ll be astounded to see how far you’ve come – whether you fell short of your goal or surpassed it by a mile. (I like to see this in graph form…)

Do you have a question around goal-setting that you'd like some guidance on? Visit the lululemon Facebook wall on Sept. 8th at 4 pm PST and ask Matt! Event details are here: http://www.facebook.com/askagoalcoacher. Hope to see you on the wall!

Triathloners taking on the ocean at Second Beach!

Earlier in the year, Eric set a goal to participate in his first sprint triathlon - perfect for lululemon Goal Week! After the brisk swim at Second Beach, Eric and Natasha hopped on their bikes to tackle two loops of the perimeter of Stanley Park, totalling 20km.

Eric on the second leg of the triathlon.

Natasha on her bike!

After the ride, time for a 5km run through Lost Lagoon onto the North Seawall. With the rain still pouring down, both Eric and Natasha were looking strong.

Go Nat go!

Goal achieved! Congratulations to Eric, Natasha, and everyone else who braved the rain to participate or cheer on the triathloners!

Eric and Natasha, post-triathlon!

Our ambassador Nico (above), from lululemon Park Royal in North Vancouver has mastered astavakrasana (in fact, he had to do it several times while we were filming this video), but that didn't happen overnight. Here are some steps to help you take your big, hairy, audacious yoga goal and turn it into reality.

break it down

Break your big goal down into multiple smaller goals. For example: if your goal is to do a handstand without the wall, set a goal that you can achieve in a shorter amount of time that will help you get there, such as "I will practice kicking up into handstand 20 times a week for a month by June 2011."

write it in present tense

Write your goals in the present tense, as though they already happened. This gets your mind used to thinking that your dreams don't have to be dreams; they can be reality.

Examples:
Asavakrasana is part of my yoga practice by November 2013.
I do a handstand without the wall and can hold it for 2 minutes by August 2012.
I can do sidecrow by January 2015.

make it measureable

Can you measure your goal? If you can't measure it, it's not a goal. This can be a challenging part of goal-setting, but there is a way to write each of your biggest, baddest goals so that they are measurable in some way.

Here are some more guidelines to follow as you write your goals:

use affirmative language

Say what you will do, not what you won't do. This will focus your energy on the desired outcome rather than the actions or behaviours that must stop.

Example: "I practice sidecrow" instead of "I stop avoiding sidecrow."

be specific

Make your goals as specific and concise as possible. Keep it under 15 words, with no justification required. You can always change your mind!

by when

Attach a goal to your date. State the month in addition to the year. Dates keep you accountable. Don't overthink things too much - just pick a date.

and now, your turn!

Here is a goal sheet for you to write in your 1, 5, and 10-year goals. At the top, write what your age and life will be like in 10 years.

vision & goals worksheet

learn more

• Read tips for goal-setting
• Learn why sharing your goals is important
• Watch the video of our ambassadors Nico and Chloe demo-ing the steps to get into astavakrasana

why goal set?

There is a way to write your goals so they are powerful and meaningful. Goals set an intention and are not a one-time deal but an exercise for living every day.

Goal setting:

• provides focus
• creates your life
• helps you discover your personal path
• teaches you where you are taking personal responsibility

what is a goal?

A goal is a written statement with a deadline (or "by when", as we call them here at lululemon). A goal inspires you to do the work. Your goals should excite and even scare you.

A goal is not a 'to do' list or an idea, what your family/boyfriend/girlfriend/etc. wants for you, or what society states is for you.

Goals are to create what does not already exist.

Goals are based on a long-term plan that has no constraints. Anything is possible. Whatever you need to achieve your long-term goal (skills, funding, experience, etc.) you can gain with time.

language

Your words create your world and you become what you think about most of the time. Remove the following words from your language and you will reach your goals: try, hopefully, wish, might, maybe.

how to get started

Start from where you are. Reaching goals is hard work, so get ready to dig in and discipline yourself. Accept total responsibility for everything that happens. Ask for feedback along the way.

questions

Here are some questions to help you start thinking about your ideal life:

• What are you willing to give your life to?
• What are you willing to commit to everyday?
• What causes you to be inspired everyday?
• If a wish could be granted, what would you wish?
• What kind of difference do you want to make in the world?

your vision

• State your ideal life
• Be descriptive
• Choose a moment in time and explain everything that is going on around you
• Get beyond your life. What is the state of the world?

writing exercises

- Write your obituary. Imagine your eventual demise. It has an amazing impact on how you live in the moment.
- Write your retirement speech. What would you say? What would your oldest colleague say? What would your mentor say?

vision board

Collage your ideal life and hang it somewhere you will see it often. Watch it all come into being.

related reading

• Learn how our Digital Innovation Manager, Carolyn, sets goals: The Top 10 Ways I Goal Set
• How to make an effective vision board: Goals, Arts and Crafts Style

what's the goal of goal week?

Goal-setting 101. Goal sharing. Goal coaching. Goosebumps.

what to expect

Each day we'll be sharing goal-setting stories and tips to inspire and help you create meaningful goals that work for you. You'll hear from both goal setters and coachers across our company. We're going to give you the tools that we use here at lululemon.

how to get the most out of goal week

We want to hear from you. Leave us a comment. Come to our Ask a Goal Coacher... Live! event on Facebook (Sept. 8th at 4 pm.). Share your goals with others and ask them what their goals are.

the goal week schedule

Day 1: Welcome
Time to get your goal setting self in order! The goal of today is to get you thinking about the importance of goal setting. Whether you've never set goals before or are an avid goal setter, there'll be a part of Goal Week that means something to you. Hear from lululemon founder, Chip Wilson, on why he personally goal sets and how he got started being a goal setter.

Day 2: What is a goal?
Today's all about giving you the lay of goal-setting land. What exactly is a goal, and why do we set them? Learn how Carolyn, our Digital Innovation Manager, sets goals, and Kerry from Strategic Sales talks about creating the space for yourself to imagine.

Days 3 & 4: Dream, dream, dream
It's the weekend, so while you're in Saturday morning savasana spend your weekend dreaming, getting inspired, and thinking about what your ideal life looks like in 10 years. We've got some arts and crafts ideas for helping you figure this out.

Day 5: Create
After a weekend of creating possibilities for your best life ever, it's time to get down and dirty with your goals and fill your goal sheets in. Julie, our U.S. Training Manager, talks about goal setting and how to be a goal coacher.

Day 6: Put your goals out there
Something special happens when you share your goals. Learn more about the importance of sharing. Sara, our Director of Ecommerce Operations, shares her personal adventure in goal-setting and what holds her accountable.

Day 7: Love your failures
Learn why failing is important and come to our Ask a Goal Coacher...live! event with Matt, goal coacher extraordinaire, who will be answering your questions about goal setting on our Facebook wall for one hour starting at 4 pm PST. We're also going to check in with two of our BHAGs from June on this day and talk about the part of goal-setting that happens after you've filled out your goal sheet and hear how goal setting changed Ava's career direction.

related reading

Here are two blog posts about goal-setting to help get you in the goal-setting mood:

1. 30 Seconds to Change Your Life: "Setting goals has always been a love of mine. It gave me direction and purpose. More than once I have set my sights on big targets and wonder why, so close to getting it, it didn’t work out." read more >>
- Jenna, Online Community Educator at the Guest Education Centre

2. Got Goals? "We don’t take goals lightly at lululemon. Even though my skeptic soul tries to resist, when you set a goal and write it down on a piece of paper, you start working towards that very goal and you either achieve it or it leads you anew." read more >>
- Whitney, Social Media Specialist at the Store Support Centre

what's next?

We're here to support you on your journey in goal setting. Ask questions. Give us feedback. Leave a comment. Let's do this!