The goal isn’t the problem.
If you have already moved on and settled into the “same ole” routine, you are in pretty good company. If I can barely run 2 miles and I want to run a marathon, then at the end of 2 miles it is easy to come to the conclusion that there is NO WAY I am EVER going to reach that goal. Well, if I had to run it tomorrow, of course not. The shift has to be thinking about “What can I do today? Can I do a little bit more than I did yesterday?”
Self-Defeatism
Most of us get derailed by negative thinking “I’ll never be able to do it”. These negative thoughts are so powerful that we either distract (the internet, tv, meaningless tasks) or we wallow in regret and beating ourselves up over the fact that we currently are not working toward our goal. This becomes evidence then that we “can’t” – If I didn’t run today, then that must be evidence that I can’t do this. Ridiculous!
Focus on Today
Do something. Do a little bit more than yesterday. If you did nothing yesterday, hey, at least you can today! Everyday spent in effort toward your goal is a step in the right direction. If you have more good days than bad days then you start to build momentum. Pretty soon you start to look forward to hammering away at whatever your goal is. It begins to feel good that even though sometimes you fall off, you always get back on that horse again.
GO!
So, if you have goals that you want to achieve, it’s ok if they are long term. Just stay focused on the present, remind yourself that what you have control over is TODAY. Ok, time for me to go for a run.
