Goals

[racethenation]

I closed out the quarter meeting for first big weight loss goal! My goal was to lose 30 pounds in three months, and I lost 34!

This got me to thinking about goals in general. They have been important to me in establishing my frame of mind. When I started losing weight three months ago, I could not imagine being where I am now, much less where I am heading. I have revised my goals positively several times to meet my ever improving confidence that I am on the right track. My original weight loss goal (which I thought was ridiculous at the time) was 75 pounds for the year. Now I have upped that to 104. My riding goal for January was just 50 miles. I closed out January at 55 miles. I could only ride about 4 miles at a time when I started. My goal for March was 132 miles and I rode 151. Right now I can't imagine doing more than that, but I have set April's goal for 175 miles. It is one of the many things that keeps me motiviated. Of course, I have longer term goals like, my first full century in April of next year, but it is the combination of short and long term goals that really seems to keep me going.

I was just wondering if anybody else has recommendations for goal setting techniques that they have used to keep pushing yourself.

[The Historian]

I was just wondering if anybody else has recommendations for goal setting techniques that they have used to keep pushing yourself.

Think big. As Browning put it, a man's reach should exceed his grasp.

[The Doctor]

You know, I have never set any goals for myself. I got on my walmart special bike last summer when I worked locally in between semesters. I made two requirements:

1) Bike to work at least 5 of the 6 days I worked a week and
2) cut out all unnecessary sugar intake.


I ended up losing 20 lbs in 8 weeks, which was awesome! I did, however, have a series of unfortunate events (stolen bike, my replacement bike was vandalized, winter) and I didn't ride for about 6 months. In that time, I gained about 10 lbs back.

Now I have a brand new Trek that I keep never let out of my sight, and I bike everywhere I can. My wife and I have set only one goal for ourselves, and it has nothing to do with scales. Since we live in a small town, we have decided to make ALL trips under 2 miles on our bikes.

In less than one month I have put 40 miles on my bike simply scooting around town running errands. I don't know if I have lost much weight, but I am feeling a LOT better, and I know the rest will come. That is what keeps me motivated.