A couple of Saturdays ago, I ran my first ever road race. Not a marathon or even a half marathon, but a 12k… 7.5 miles. I actually did a lot better than I thought I would going into it. There’s something about running with a bunch of other people (probably a little bit of pride) that makes it a little easier to keep going when you’d normally quit or slack up.
Everything was going really well until about the 6 mile mark. That’s the point where a lot of the adrenaline (and pride) wore off and I was faced with already running 6 miles and having another 1.5 to go.
I managed another mile as I pushed through the pain. The last half mile, I got a glimpse of the finish line. That literally changed everything. That was my goal and I had my eye on it.
Here are 2 things that happen when we set our eyes on a goal…
1. Motivation
Just like in my race, when I saw the goal, my motivation increased. I got a 2nd or 3rd win because I could see the fruits of my labor. I could taste the victory at the end. The same thing happens with the goals we set. Goals are important because they give us a glimpse of where we’re going and provide some motivation to get there. Make your goal realistic, but make it something that will require a 2nd or 3rd wind.
2. Celebration
Goals are important because they give us something to celebrate. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it or not, but while you’re celebrating an accomplishment, you feel the most empowered to take on something even greater. You build momentum in the celebration. As you’re celebrating one win, set the next goal. Celebration creates anticipation of ‘what can we do next?!’
Are you a goal setter?
How do you set goals?
How have you found goal setting beneficial?
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