I recently ran a 5K race with my grandson. We arrived early and wandered around looking for people we knew. I had a chance to observe and hear comments from a number of people – mainly strangers. Some I talked to, but most I just listened as I walked by them. About half-way through the race my mind started to align many of the things I heard and saw. All of them fit perfectly into the general topic of goal setting.
Everyone there had a goal of running or walking a 5K race – the end goal for this example. For most of them it was reasonably easy – my observation was that most had run or walked a 5K (3.1 mile) race before. Their subconscious minds supported their decision to run this race because they had demonstrated an ability to run one or more previously, or they had sufficient training to complete the race. For those who had already completed a 5K race, their goal was probably to do better than the last time. For the new-comers, it was to just finish the race.
I observed many teams of runners – grouped into various company groups and other less apparent affiliation. Team work can be very valuable – that extra support leading up to and during the race is critical to completing the goals that you set. When you incorporate others into your goal setting, you feel more strongly that you must make your goal – and your subconscious mind doesn’t want you embarrassed, so you do things you might now have done if you didn’t have others working with you or depending on you.
I mentioned training earlier. Most runners want to do better on each race they enter. Training is necessary to do better. The same is true in goal setting. Having milestones along the way give us a progress report of how we are doing. Those milestones are very similar to the training sessions a runner does in preparation for a race. Each milestone gets you closer to your goal. Maybe one day you run at a certain pace for a certain number of miles. Another day you might run sprints – another day you might run longer distances to build your endurance. Some practice at different times of the day so that they will be better prepared for the actual race conditions.
As I was running I could hear other runners talking to each other. Many times it was coaching someone to hang in there – or, to run to a specific tree or light post or other landmark. They had supporters urging them not to give up just yet – to continue running to a specific point in the race. Similarly, in goal setting, you have the milestones that I mentioned earlier. Depending on the race conditions, you adjust your milestones accordingly. Milestones for goals are adjusted the same way – as you approach your milestone you have more information that you did before you set the milestone. Therefore, you have the ability to stop short or continue on past that particular milestone and begin working on the next one.
There was a water stop at two places in the race. It gave the runners a chance to stop briefly and recharge their bodies and spirits. In goal setting sometimes we need a break to reassess or to reflect on the big picture – what we really wanted to accomplish. These short breaks are very powerful in keeping us focused on our goals. The water gave them more strength to continue just when they needed it. If you needed more than one cup of water, you could easily ask for more. Likewise, when the stresses of everyday life intrude into your busy schedule, a five minute meditation or controlled breathing exercise can be just what you need. Adding an extra minute or two, or incorporating some stretching reinvigorates your mental attitude to focus again on you end goal.
Many of the runners were able to eat a snack just before getting onto the course. That gave them the ability to charge up their system for the last assault on their destination. A final potty stop also helped to rid them of unnecessary body stresses that could arise during the race. These last minute actions made it easier to step into the street and know they were ready to accept the challenge of running 5K and finishing.
In the old days I found it easy to run 5K without much preparation – years and years of running just made it easy to do. My grandson, daughter and I have run many 5K races over the years. Two years ago I changed my running habit from long distances to sprints. Last year I did sprints 3-5 times a week – primarily for cardiovascular improvement. I’ve been doing the same this year. I learned a good lesson this year. Past success doesn’t always mean I am as prepared as I thought I would be. This race was much more difficult for me – not to finish, because I knew I could finish it. But, it was more difficult because I was not as prepared as I should have been – my endurance was lacking.
Our goals change as we get older. Many times they are similar to previous goals, but they might be more complex, more demanding, more time critical, etc. We think because we have completed these types of goals many times in the past that we can just wait till the last moment and jump on it and get it done – like getting income tax done in a timely manner. Then we find out that new issues have crept into our lives that we did not see – and they caused us to not make our due date, or not deliver the end result with the previous quality that we have delivered in the past.
I did not plan for this race well and I could tell. I did finish the race slightly ahead of my planned time, but I could tell my body was not prepared to the experience. I learned a valuable lesson that will make me better prepared for the next race. Of, by the way, my grandson beat me this time – we seem to fluctuate of who wins which race. The next one is mine to win.
Choices have consequences. Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin
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