How to Achieve Your Running & Business Goals with the 5W’s

by Mindy Solkin
Founder, Owner, & Head Coach of The Running Center

Do you want to achieve your goals in fitness? In business? In life? You can if you follow the 5W’s. I created this process for runners, but it can easily be adapted for other fitness endeavors, as well as for business or personal reasons. That’s because runners have a secret weapon. The successful ones are quite organized. You see, running organizes your life. This can be seen on Outlook or Google calendars (and other online documents) where training components and race dates are listed. I’d suspect that any person who devotes a lot of time to a sport or other activity, may do the same. But the beauty of being a runner is that there truly is a start and a finish line, with the middle portion to be contested against yourself, over and over again, until you get it right, or are satisfied with the outcome in some way.

Second chances don’t come along too often in life, but the sport of running enables you to train methodically by continuously setting up a plan, implementing it, controlling it to a point, then seeing the results and reaping the rewards. Then doing it all over again with a renewed sense of vigor and a plethora of new goals. Developing this “dance of training” starts with a road map so that you’ll know where to start, how to adjust the middle if necessary, and finally, be successful in achieving your goal. The same can be true in business when you create a business plan.

The 5W’s is a Who, What, When, Where and Why list to help you start out on the right foot (and the left one too!) It is the first step. For full training plans for running, and more in-depth business plans for business, contact Coach Mindy.

THE 5W’s List

WHO
Who are the professional and personal people in your life who will support you? They become your “go-to” network.
Runners: Coaches, personal trainers, nutritionists, massage therapists and sports medicine doctors.
Business: Business coaches, accountants, attorneys, advisory boards, marketing/social media consultants.
Personal support for runners & business: Family, friends, colleagues and teammates.

WHAT
Without a specific goal you are aimlessly going through the motions without a true purpose.
Runners: What race, distance, or pace are you training for?
Business: What is your purpose for your particular product or service?

WHEN
Having a written calendar schedule will make you more accountable and credible.
Runners: When is your goal race date and when will you set up your training plan?
Business: When will you start and finish a current or future project?

WHERE
Runners: Where will you train? This includes all running venues and courses (outdoors) as well as indoor training facilities for Runditioning™, and other cross-training exercise.
Business: Where will you sell your product/service?

WHY
Runners: Why are you doing this? For improved fitness and health? For stress relief? To have a more disciplined fitness routine? For self-esteem? For weight loss or weight management? To gain a social network of friends with similar interests? To better your time from your last race and set a new personal record?
Business: Why are you creating or selling this product/service? Why will someone benefit from it?