Underpromise and overdeliver
I received Meb for Mortals as an early birthday gift. YAY!!! I am ready for all your “secrets*,” Meb! Ha ha.
So far, I’ve only read the first chapter, on the importance of setting goals (basically, using the SMART criteria). I like that Meb emphasizes that goals DON’T have to be pace based and I especially liked what he said about goal sharing:
I’m not advocating telling the whole world your goal. Stick with a small group of people who you know will care enough to want to help you reach it. With everyone else, underpromise and overdeliver.
When I read that I was hoping he’d go in to more explanation behind his thought process on underpromising and overdelivering, but he didn’t. Obviously, I get that you should share your goals with people who actually care about your progress and will help you be successful. But with some athletes being more publicly open about their specific goals (see Shalane Boston 2015), I wonder what it is that tells Meb to keep some things to himself – is it an innate feeling or something a coach advised him on?
I wonder because that’s how I am – I share very little (if I have a goal at all). It just doesn’t work for me** to publicly announce a goal and have more than those few, caring people know about it. I hadn’t thought about it as “underpromising and overdelivering” with everyone else though. That’s interesting. I wonder what other things I’ll read in the book that make me go “hmm.”
Who would be in your small group of people you share goals with? Or does broadcasting them work for you?
*Which he specifically says aren’t “secrets,” ha ha.
**And I am not denouncing this method for other people! I just know what works for me.
Themocracy
I post things on my blog, but I’m very vague. That also takes the pressure off me and keeps it fun.
I think stating your goals publicly is good- in some capacity. I agree with Meb how he only tells a small group vs the whole world like Shalane. I think that in their roles as professional athletes the public scream of “I’m going to win X race” would put a lot of undue pressure upon that person and if they fail at that goal, then there’s more scrutiny from the public and even more guilt and pressure thrown on that person from them self (which unless they are strong mentally could cause psychological issues in future races…)
I don’t mind sharing my goals because I only care about the comments from people I care about- like my dad and very close friends. And I appreciate their insight as to if my goal is realistic or not. But telling them gives me a little extra pep in my step race day to hit that goal or beat it.
Yeah, I was wondering about that with Shalane. You know, they talk about all the training the athletes do, but what about their mental training – maybe they see therapists?
We’re the opposite in that manner. I don’t want my non core group asking me questions about goals. Questioning me, rather. It does give me pep at a race when I want to tell someone how I did, or especially if my dad is there!
This is amazing advice. A supportive crew who will support you is important. I love my dream team of ladies; you, Dawn and Bobbi. I know I can express my training goals and concerns and receive nothing but support, understanding and honest advice. I love my ladies!!
So happy to be on your dream team! And we love you back! You know I will always give it to you straight up. Heh heh 😉
I like that, I do that under promise and (hopefully) over deliver thing with my self when I make a plan A, plan B , etc…
Meb mentioned doing that. It’s funny though, his example was something like, A goal: win race, B goal, place in top 3, C goal: PR. LOL! A little different than my goals! First goal is always to show up healthy, second is to finish! 🙂
I tend to overpromise and underdeliver but have been more selective of late. Wait. I have no goals right now except to get in shape. I love this idea, though, especially with the Shalane reference. I feel like my heart sinks when elites have a bad day and it takes away from their accomplishments.
That is a good goal. And I love being in the place when I have NO race goals. That is where I am right now. YAY!!!!!
For whatever reason, I feel that way about Shalane and Meb. I always want to see them succeed!
Oooo let me know if you think it worth reading once you finish. I don’t like to post specific big goals, because I feel like it places unnecessary pressure on me. I run, and race, for fun and fitness. My time or place really only matters to me in the end.
So far, it’s very basic advice, stuff I already knew. However, I am only on chapter 3! LOL. I did find it interesting that Meb does SO MANY form drills! He’s really big on correcting what you can with form, and on increasing cadence.
EXACTLY. It only matters to us. And I don’t like people expecting something from me, lol.
I am NOT a public sharer at all! I definitely understand the pros and cons of stating certain goals explicitly, but for me, since running and triathlon are my “hobbies” and I really try to not be TOO wrapped up in my performance, I think having non-pace related goals that I share is healthy.
That said, I have focused on paces for some races, and I find something rewarding about hitting them (again, they were realistic goals, based on key workouts, and maybe that is the key?).
The one person that I’ve ever shared goals with is my coach, who doesn’t specifically ask me to state goals for an A race, but she does ask me to write down the “ideal” scenario and visualize what I want from a race.
I’d share my goal with you! (And Data, of course!) I don’t like when athletes are really public about their performance goals because when they fail, it seems that much worse. Maybe feeling the pressure is a strategy for them, but it seems so awful when they fall short!
Exactly. And then it really makes people focus on that (or can, anyway) instead of other parts of the race. And I mean, really, with how mediocre we are with our athletic pursuits… it seems funny to me to always be chasing some goal, but I am SO not goal-oriented, so I get I am odd in that way!