Today’s blog post relates to last week’s. I visited an injured friend at his home. The injuries my friend has suffered are very likely life-changing, enduring and will determine what types of activities he can pursue in future. My friend was a previous race team member in the Edinburgh Rat Race 2008. My friend was a previous client whom I coached towards the Celtman Race in 2017. I have always held my friend, David Venables, in high regard and now even more so.

_{The Venerably Wild Beggars – Edinburgh Rat Race 2008. David Venables, Vicky Begg and Rich Wild}

When your goals are the right goals they are achievable, relevant and specific to you. When your goals are off the mark, they lead to disillusionment, feelings of inadequacy or failure and eventually to realisation that they are not the right goals for you.

Meeting David today and hearing him explain what happened in the accident and how his goals have changed from competing in the iconic Dragon Back Race in Wales to standing safely and getting to the toilet truly underlines how your goals must reflect your circumstances and the pace at which you can progress. This is not to say that the goals you set are insignificant or that your progress and development are diminished or that the challenge isn’t valuable – its just that they need to be right for you at the time you are pursuing them. Reflecting on seeing David today; witnessing the adjustments he has made in a short time and the positivity with which he has acknowledged these dramatic changes makes me understand the importance of setting the right goals – as an athlete, as a coach, as sport psychology counsellor. I learned a lot today.