Hopefully everyone out there is having themselves a fantastic Holiday season, getting a few days off for some R & R, and making sure they get to the gym a few dozen times (or not. Whatever). So in keeping with the fact that everyone and their dog is going to be setting their own New Years resolutions tomorrow, I thought I’d share the top 10 things I’ve been able to accomplish this year as a direct result of the goal setting I do all the time. Hopefully this can inspire a few people out there to set some goals of their own and start pushing their comfort zones a bit more to see what their true potential can be.

#10: Running a Successful Boot Camp Program

Last year I set a goal for myself of running a Boot Camp class daily with up to 10 people in each class, and sustaining it throughout the year. I’ve been able to run a class for three days a week, and have dropped it to twice a week during the winter months, but am happy with the numbers coming out to class. Next year, I’m looking to run 3 days a week with a full group, all year-long. Hopefully I can coax a few more people into running the stairs with everyone, and show them how to have fun outdoors again.

#9: Teaching Seminars

Believe it or not, I love teaching. It’s one of those things that makes me work hard to be able to keep myself ahead of the game so that I can give back to trainers who are attending my seminars. I managed to teach 26 seminars, either full-day or multiple day, over the course of the year, and that’s not even including any sessions at conferences or anything like that. On top of that, I’m planning to do some DVDs of some of the seminars I teach so that people who can’t attend due to geography can still take advantage of it and get some good take-aways on things like injury post-rehabilitation, assessments, and any kind of crazy things I may be thinking of.

#8: Home Renovations

Anyone who’s ever gone through this knows it’s a BIIIIIIIIIIG deal, especially if you’re doing them while still living in the house. This past year I built a garden in the back yard, built a fence on the north side of the yard, finished baseboards in the bedroom, insulated the front and back porches, and insulated the basement. On top of that, last year we updated the electrical throughout the house, installed a new furnace, windows and back door, which means the goal for 2010 and 2011 is debt reduction to pay for all of it. In total, we’ve probably spent about $25,000 in renos, not including the manual labour I’ve put in for most of the jobs I could handle, so hopefully we’ll get some of that value back when we try to sell it.

#7: Client Successes

Yes, that’s right. I goal set for my clients, whether they know it or not. If someone comes into me thinking of losing weight, I set a goal for myself as their trainer to what amount of weight loss I want them to get to, regardless of whether they think it’s possible or not. Typically, I set the bar a lot higher than they would, which means when they start losing weight or getting stronger or recovering faster than they thought they could, it’s all par for the course for what I’m looking for. This keeps me motivated to help clients see their success, since I internalize their results and make them mine. By doing that, I can give my clients the best possible program, nutrition advice, and guidance to help them reach their goals while maintaining my goal set for what I feel they can do. If you’re a client of mine, keep this in mind: When you’re working with me, I’m trying to get you there probably as much as you’re trying to get there, in some cases even more so. My reputation is on the line with every client I train, and I’m gonna keep that rep in tact.

#6: Webinars

This is something I’m really proud of, since it’s a collaborative effort with some pretty big names, including guys like Rick Kaselj, Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, Eric Beard and Kevin Yates, which means a lot to me to even be associated with them at all. Muscle Imbalances Revealed 2.0 has been getting some pretty impressive reviews from people all over the world, and if you haven’t picked up your copy yet,

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????

It’s even on sale for the rest of 2010, so pick up a copy today and see what it’s all about. My talk on fascia and low back pain has been one of the most talked about on the entire set, and I’m not just saying that. It’s really that good!!

I’m also planning to release a few more in the coming year, with the assistance of the Godfather himself, Rick Kaselj, so I’m going to keep you all updated on new things as they come out.

#5: Writing a Book

I’ve been kicking around this idea for a few years now with no real direction on what I wanted to write about, but then decided to do something when I wound up tweaking my back in March of this year. I’ve fought recurring back pain for a while, and thought it would be as good a time as any to try to conquer it once and for all. Along the way, I did research into a couple of different thought processes regarding back pain, from Dr. Stuart McGill to Shirley Sahrmann, to a couple of guys selling rock on the street corner, I talked to everyone (except the guys on the corner). I came up with some simple tenets to work on with everyone, including a simple self-assessment anyone can use to figure out their optimal training program, and am in the process of writing the book to tell you all about it. Along the way, if you haven’t already helped me out to pick a title, please take a second to answer the quick survey about the title you like the best.

[polldaddy poll=4301056]

#4: This here Blog

It’s something I’ve never really thought about before. I mean, how many people would seriously want to hear me ranting and raving about deadlifts, Jillian Michaels overall uselessness, and various thoughts like belly button piercings and back pain, women’s liberation ruining our health, and how most people squat like 80 year old women. apparently I was wrong. For the first little while it was pretty slow going, but it seems to be getting more and more popular, with even other people whom I greatly respect saying I know my stuff. So a big thank you for those who keep reading this habitually, and hopefully I’ll continue to live up to your expectations 🙂

#3: Going to Las Vegas for the NSCA Conference

Never having been to Vegas before, this was a pretty cool experience. On top of that, the conference was one of the best I’ve been to, with some pretty amazing presenters (myself included), who all gave me some new ways of thinking about different things, and also gave Lindsay a chance to fall in love with shopping all over again.

#2: Speaking in Las Vegas

Yeah I did!! This was my first time going stateside to present on any topic, this one being “Developing Medical Referral Networks for Personal Trainers.” I really enjoyed it, got some great feedback, and met and chatted with a few really cool people as a result, so hopefully I’ll be able to do more in the coming years. If you know of any I can speak at and have an in, hook a brotha up!!!

#1: Planning a Wedding

I’m sure most women out there would be shocked to find out that Lindsay and I are actually devoting equal time to planning our upcoming wedding next year, and that I’m actually holding my own with her too!! It’s gonna be tight, y’all!!!

Well, that’s about it. I know a lot of people probably have their own picks as to which poast was their most or least favorite, so please feel free to let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from everyone what they liked and didn’t like so I have an idea of what to write about in the future.

Happy New Years, everybody!!! Let’s hope 2011 brings only the best the world has to offer.

That, and only one movie where Mel Gibson uses a beaver sock puppet to talk to the world.