Of course, you don’t actually end up getting there. Sometimes you achieve the goal and then you feel amazing. But most of the time you don’t achieve them and you blame it on yourself.
No, where the author goes wrong is believing that unmet goals == failure. The best thing to do is not drop your goals, but stop labeling yourself a failure, blaming yourself, etc... when you miss them. Sure, the only one who can "own up" to that missed goal is you, but leave it at that and don't make it a cycle of negativity.
Just a quick example -- in my HS track years I had a goal that I wanted to break 2 min for the 800m... On the best race of my senior year, I kicked a tad early and gassed out about 15m before the finish, running a 2:00.46.
It'd be quite silly to feel poorly for running the fastest 800m of my life just because I missed my goal (which also would have given me the school record).
To continue the running analogy, goals should be akin to saying "look how far I've come", not "look how far I'm from" the finish line.
'No, where the author goes wrong is believing that unmet goals == failure. The best thing to do is not drop your goals, but stop labeling yourself a failure, blaming yourself, etc... when you miss them. Sure, the only one who can "own up" to that missed goal is you, but leave it at that and don't make it a cycle of negativity.'
Exactly.
I've set out to accomplish a great many things, and have, by all accounts, failed at most of them. However, while I may have missed may goals, these pursuits lead me to accomplish other things.
Having goals is mind hack to get you off your ass and into motion, which about the only way anything happens, planned or not.
I agree, the goal of goals for me is to set them slightly beyond what I can realistically achieve. Then, when whatever skill I'm developing actually matters, it is more than adequate. This is the strategy I am using to train for my next marathon.
Comments
Of course, you don’t actually end up getting there. Sometimes you achieve the goal and then you feel amazing. But most of the time you don’t achieve them and you blame it on yourself.
No, where the author goes wrong is believing that unmet goals == failure. The best thing to do is not drop your goals, but stop labeling yourself a failure, blaming yourself, etc... when you miss them. Sure, the only one who can "own up" to that missed goal is you, but leave it at that and don't make it a cycle of negativity.
Just a quick example -- in my HS track years I had a goal that I wanted to break 2 min for the 800m... On the best race of my senior year, I kicked a tad early and gassed out about 15m before the finish, running a 2:00.46.
It'd be quite silly to feel poorly for running the fastest 800m of my life just because I missed my goal (which also would have given me the school record).
To continue the running analogy, goals should be akin to saying "look how far I've come", not "look how far I'm from" the finish line.
'No, where the author goes wrong is believing that unmet goals == failure. The best thing to do is not drop your goals, but stop labeling yourself a failure, blaming yourself, etc... when you miss them. Sure, the only one who can "own up" to that missed goal is you, but leave it at that and don't make it a cycle of negativity.'
Exactly.
I've set out to accomplish a great many things, and have, by all accounts, failed at most of them. However, while I may have missed may goals, these pursuits lead me to accomplish other things.
Having goals is mind hack to get you off your ass and into motion, which about the only way anything happens, planned or not.
Wow! You are an elite runner. I highly recommend "Once a Runner" by John L. Parker if you have not yet read it. It just got reprinted in paperback.
http://www.amazon.com/Once-Runner-John-L-Parker/dp/091529701...
I agree, the goal of goals for me is to set them slightly beyond what I can realistically achieve. Then, when whatever skill I'm developing actually matters, it is more than adequate. This is the strategy I am using to train for my next marathon.