Short term goals vs long term vision

Why did you start running?

We all start running for a reason. For some people, the motivation is to lose weight, for some others the is to gain fitness to do other sports. There is of course the love of running as a sport in itself but I don't think I've ever met anyone who one day just laced up, went out and was converted. There's always something ahead in the distance that pulls you. That's the inital goal.

The pits of short term goals

Say you take up running in January to lose some weight after the excesses of December. You religiously get out 3 or 4 days a week to do 4 miles and after a couple of months you hit your weight target. Then what? The initial goal is achieved and there's no incentive to keep on running so, instead of 4 times a week, you now run twice a week. Instead of 4 miles you run 3, then 2... See the pattern? There has to be more than immediate objectives to keep you going. Otherwise, there are too many forks on the road, too many decision moments when you have to choose whether to stick to the routine or sit down and have a cup of tea.

Why do we sabotage ourselves?

We all know the benefits of exercise. There's more awareness than ever on all easily accessible media. And let's face it, as far as complexity is concerned, running is one of the easiest forms of exercise out there. At its most basic level, all it takes is a pair of runners, shorts and technical t-shirt (not cotton!). So, if running is so easy and it brings so many health and fitness benefits why do people's motivation fades as time goes on? Cause we have our eyes set on the ground in front of us instead of the horizon! (Note to self: That sounds good! I like it!). But really, long term health benefits demand long term goals... and planning... and work... lots of work, not just short term objectives.

Comments

Visualization for beginners

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26.2 Ways to Run

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