Specific goals just don’t work for me / 13.1 Chicago [half] Marathon Giveaway WINNER
I know practically every study about goals says that setting really specific ones and a plan on how to get there leads to success, but that just does not work for me. The more specific my goal is (and especially if it has a deadline*), the more time I tend to spend dreaming about life after reaching that goal, rather than focusing on the present and what it takes to get to that goal.
With my 12-week then 4-week 5K training cycle I felt like I really focused on being in the present and enjoying the speedwork that would earn me a 5K PR. But the truth is I daydreamed a lot too, about reaching that PR and how accomplished I would feel.
I guess that is what makes not reaching it kind of a letdown – I had really been living in the future with that one. Lesson learned.
Don’t think I take running super super seriously – I don’t. I enjoy it. And I am not upset about my failed 5K attempts.
But I like a challenge every now and then! I need to find a better way for me to challenge myself [in running].
I guess making all this goal talk about running does make me seem upset – I’m not. It just reminded me how I struggle with goals with everything in my life. Work, my health, my relationships, and so on. Every time I set a weightloss goal for myself, I seem to engage in self-sabotage. Rather than making huge goals at work, things kind of fall in to my lap (this probably has to do with my work ethic, but I am not actively seeking things). I actively think about bettering my relationships but I don’t have set plans, I kind of go with the flow. The more specific and announced my goals are, the more I mess them up.
Eeks. I am going to stop here and hope that some of this makes sense to someone.
Does setting really specific goals with date or event deadlines work for you?
Thanks to my Fools 5K spectators (Aunt Sue, Dad and Steven)!
*Be to xxx weight by xx-xx-xx date, race xx:xx in xx race
The winner of the 13.1 Chicago [half] Marathon Giveaway is #15, Pam! Pam, please contact me at kilax@ilaxstudio.com and I will work on getting a registration code for you!
Themocracy
I tend to self sabatoge too. I am seeing it in V as well. I am trying to get it figured out. It isn’t fun at all.
I tend to be able to work towards specific goals but sometimes I do have an issue with dreaming a little too big. I sometimes lose sight of the smaller steps along the way to get there and end up crashing and burning completely when if I would’ve been a little more patient with the small steps, I probably would’ve been better off!
I feel you on this!!! I am not great at specific goals because when I derail, I derail hard!!!
I can kind of identify with this…if I have goals that are too specific when I have a lot going on, I just feel overwhelmed. So, to use your example, if I set a goal right now to lose x lbs in x days, I would just fall on my face. But, tiny goals I can manage. Like, I decided to track my eating for a month and stay under my allotted calorie amount. That one is working pretty well.
Sometimes I am in the mental headspace for big goals, and sometimes I’m just not. When it comes to work, right now I am just too overwhelmed and tired to make my goals much bigger than getting through the day.
I like the whole SMART goal concept, but then I get really down on myself if I don’t reach it … hence the weight-related post I’m crafting for today.
Goals work in different ways for everyone, so maybe focusing on something super specific isn’t the best way to motivate yourself, even if it works for others. Have you heard of SMART goal setting? We use it at work – it’s Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Timely. I know that we’re supposed to fit all of those characteristics into one goal, but I tend to focus on some more than others. Being specific is only one part of setting a goal. I truly think that a goal being attainable and realistic is more important than specificity.
When I set a weight loss goal, it was an overall “get healthy” goal, as well as a specific “lose 60 pounds” goal. And for my 5k goals, I do have a specific time that I’d like to hit, but I also have the broader goal of just being able to run the whole thing. Obviously you’re past that goal, but maybe it’d help to build in something more general that you’re fairly sure you can accomplish so that, no matter the outcome, you’ll still feel like you’ve done a good job. To me, the fact that you even ran a 5k and finished it doesn’t seem like a “failed attempt,” though I understand you feel like you could do better.
Thanks for telling me about the SMART goal setting! I like thinking of it that way, and like you said, it does not always have to be specific!
I do need to have other goals for running. Honestly, I have had so many injuries that just being out there and able to do it should be enough for me. Thanks for the reminder!!!
And I love reading about you reaching your goals! Go Anne Go!!!! 🙂
I try not to set too specific goals – I think every year I have always said my goal for the year is to stay injury free because if I can’t run at all then that is no fun. Recently I was talking to my coach about goals – he always asks me at the beginning of my training what I think I would like to run my goal race at, and then the week before the race he asks me again. He also has me verbalize it to him and maybe a few other ppl because if I say I want to run a certain pace or time, saying it out loud to them helps me to accomplish it. I guess it just depends on what works for you. I think as you go through training you have to re-work goals and/or add or subtract goals. Anyway Im rambling.
And this week does seem to be less stressful and busy from last week, but we will see…its only Monday 🙁
I don’t like to set specific goals for myself. I have general ideas in my head about things that I want to do/achieve, but I never really say them out loud, or write them down. I feel like that adds pressure, and I don’t like that. Also, I’m very much the type of person that will do the opposite of what I’m told to do. Even if it’s me doing the telling.
I’m the same way! If my goal is too specific, it makes it easier for me to fail, and then i just ended up feeling anxious about the task at hand
Hmmm, I think one of the reasons I’m not a big goal setter is because I’m too worried about not hitting them! That’s why I like to set the “at least” goals. Meaning, for example, I will do “at least” one of something. Still, though, it’s hard especially when you live your life thinking about what it will be like after something instead of thinking about what you need to do every day to get there.
I relate. I set very high expectations for myself so if I don’t achieve a goal, I get frustrated and disappointed with myself… and since I know that I get frustrated and disappointed, it makes me nervous in working towards that goal which many times ultimately makes me not perform as well as I could have. Does that make any sense at all!?!?!?
Ha! That totally makes sense! I have been a ball of nerves before these two 5K attempts and that is so unlike me!!!
For losing weight…. nope. Everything I have read tells me to set small specific goals, but as soon as I do that all I can think about is food and I end up stuffing my face.