What do you expect?

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SkinnyMsFitness
SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
in Motivation and Support
Is it better to have high expectations and fall below them or have low expectations and rise above them?

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  • johned63
    johned63 Posts: 306 Member
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    It is best to have expectations that are realistic and achievable. If they are too high you may end up feeling miserable and giving up when you do not achieve them.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    I prefer high but achievable. Know your limits, but don't shrink those limits based on fear. It should be hard, but not impossible.
  • cdjs77
    cdjs77 Posts: 176 Member
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    I think it depends on the person. I always aim high so that I'll fall somewhere where I really want to be. My greatest weakness is that I can never push myself past my goal, even if it is too low and I hit it. If my goal is to run one mile, I'll run one mile, and that will be that, even if I think I could run two or three. If I set my goal to be to run 10 miles, I'll maybe run five. I won't have met my goal, but it will be four more than I originally planned, and two or three more than I thought I could do.
    Not meeting my goal only encourages me to try harder, whereas meeting my goal only makes me pull back or slack off.
  • SkinnyMsFitness
    SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
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    Great points everyone! I agree that all goals MUST be realistic or they won't be accomplished!! I think I prefer to aim low and go above and beyond. I'm much happier when I expect less and accomplish more. When it's vice versa, that could screw with your mindset... =))) Love hearing others' points-of-views!
  • CeddysMum
    CeddysMum Posts: 101 Member
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    Being a compulsive perfectionist (not a healthy thing to be!!!), which means all my life I've never been "good enough" for my own expectations which, in turn, resulted in very low self-esteem, this time I'm trying very hard to aim for achievable rather than too high so that I actually have a chance to go above and beyond. (Hope that made sense? :tongue: )
  • kelseyjane1105
    kelseyjane1105 Posts: 8 Member
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    hmmm... good question.. But I for one like to set really small goals that are completely achievable because I am the type of person who slacks off over time lol I need the motivation. So for instance, I really only needed to lose about 20 pounds when I started. Not a huge goal, but I knew from experience that the last 5-10 pounds were gonna be crazy. So my first goal was 155 to under 150. Then it was under 145. Now I am plateauing at 143-144 just like I KNEW I would, so my goal is simply under 143!!

    Gotta do what works for you! If my goal is only 1 pound a week, when I accomplish it, it feels amazing (then I tell everyone :))
  • Brooksonthebay
    Brooksonthebay Posts: 6
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    like to set really small goals that are completely achievable because I am the type of person who slacks off over time lol I need the motivation. So for instance, I really only needed to lose about 20 pounds when I started. Not a huge goal, but I knew from experience that the last 5-10 pounds were gonna be crazy. So my first goal was 155 to under 150. Then it was under 145. Now I am plateauing at 143-144 just like I KNEW I would, so my goal is simply under 143!!

    Gotta do what works for you! If my goal is only 1 pound a week, when I accomplish it, it feels amazing (then I tell everyone :))


    THIS!!! Same here....multiple small goals!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    It's best to have realistic expectations.
  • brookej2216
    brookej2216 Posts: 5 Member
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    I make a big goal, then break it into smaller pieces for short term satisfaction. Keeps my motivation up.
  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
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    I prefer to set modest goals and be pleasantly surprised when I meet and surpass them. My SO prefers to set lofty goals, and he tends to give himself a hard time when he doesn't live up to his own expectations, being a bit of a perfectionist.
  • theatkgirls
    theatkgirls Posts: 9
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    I prefer to set realistic goals and then meet them or surpass them. If you set goals too high and then fail, you will become overwhelmed and not likely to set more goals or give up. Setting realistic goals seems to be the better route however, you don't want to set them too low because then you do not have to work that hard to meet them and there is no challenge.

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