Short term vs Long term goals

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ConnorLynne65
ConnorLynne65 Posts: 91 Member
in Motivation and Support
I tend to procrastinate and when I think, I will lose 50 lbs this year I know I will be tempted to put off the next work out or excuse a less than healthy meal choice with the idea that I have plenty of time to meet my goal. So I have lived and learned a little in my weight loss journey. At this point I am thinking about focusing on short term goals so that I feel presently accountable.

My last weigh in was 1/1/14 and My current goal is to reach a 10 lb loss by valentines day so I changed my ticker on my profile page to reflect that. On valentines day I will change my ticker according to my next short term goal that I would like to meet by Easter 4/20. I am determined to lose 50 lbs in 2014 but I think I need to focus on the short term.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • cactusyogi
    cactusyogi Posts: 78
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    I definitely agree! Short term goals are the way to go, as well as non-scale victories! I'll set little goals for myself like: take a mile walk, snack on fruit instead of candy, make healthy choices at a restaurant. All those little goals make you feel more accomplished in my opinion, while keeping you accountable and pushing you to keep going ^-^
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    They are so big on this in the military (short/long term goals) that I can create these in my sleep now lol.

    The thing about short and long term goals is your short term should be steps to your long term goal. For example, take exercise. You can't go out and run a marathon over night, so you make a short term goal to run a 5K, then a 10K, then HM, and so on. With losing weight, you can't drop 50 lbs over night, so you create short term goals to help you get there: lose x lbs by (date) or drop %bf by (date). You continue on making and adjusting your short term to accompany and succeed in your long term.

    Hope this helps.
  • kzivic
    kzivic Posts: 326 Member
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    I focus on the short-term goals as well. Looking big picture seems too daunting to me. Breaking it up into smaller pieces is more manageable and helps set me up for success.

    For me, goals need to be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely..
  • deannasueknutson
    deannasueknutson Posts: 38 Member
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    I am currently doing the same thing! I have an ultimate goal why I am doing what I am doing, but I have short term goal to get me there. I am maid of honor in my friend's wedding in May. April is when I am getting my dress altered. So I have set the goal to lose 20 pounds by April 1st (no joke intended). That is a little less than 2 pounds per week. So at the end of each month, I have a goal to be at a certain weight.

    End of January: lose 6 lbs
    End of February: lose 8 lbs
    End of March: 8 lbs

    It makes it not look like such a difficult task. So far I am down 4 lbs and I still have a week and half until the end of January. There could be a posssiblity to lose more than what I plan on doing.

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