Why Do People Set Mini Goals?

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  • wrenak
    wrenak Posts: 144 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you can't wear your charge I'd suggest you get a much cheaper, smaller and less intrusive zip or one ...they do the same thing without the misleading HR information and will get you used to upping your activity

    My dad actually gifted it to me. One night the charging contacts burned me and once it had healed I tried wearing it again with the contacts covered, but the material of the band gave me a rash. Thought it might be a one-off, so I cleaned it with peroxide and made sure it stayed dry. Got the rash again. It now sits on my table between my knitting needles and my odds-and-ends kit. I make sure I track my walks with MapMyFitness and that's all I've done so far.
  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 623 Member
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    bcalvanese wrote: »
    just wondering.

    Why not just set your goal to somewhere in the middle of your healthy weight range?

    Because the middle of my "healthy weight range" is around 150lbs and my starting weight was 329. As others have said, it's somewhat intimidating to know you need to lose nearly 180lbs, not to mention the effort that would be put in to only celebrate reaching a goal several years later. How bleak would that be?
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    When I first started, I had no idea how I would look at a certain weight so I did not have a goal weight. I took things a pound at a time.

    Also I did not say I wanted to lose a certain amount or weight by a certain time. Again, one pound at a time.

    I stayed consistent, had lots of patience and knew I would get there, one day. I ended up being happy losing 80 lbs. Looking back if I would have known I needed to lose 80 lbs, I think it would have been tough on me mentally.

    Lastly, the middle of my weight range is too low for me as I have a lot of muscle mass and have an hourglass shape.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    I think maybe I'll be satisfied when I reach -20kg, but so far I'm definitely not satisfied at all, and I don't think I will be at 20 either... :s But I know I would feel worse if my only goal was getting to my ultimate goal, which is so painfully far away.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    It helps keep you motivated; you accomplished your "mini" goal, and you should feel positive and able to reinforce good behaviors and a good mindset to hit your next "mini" goal, which gets you that much closer to your long-term goal.

    Google "SMART"goals. This is a good way to think about goal setting.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Preference.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    wrenak wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you can't wear your charge I'd suggest you get a much cheaper, smaller and less intrusive zip or one ...they do the same thing without the misleading HR information and will get you used to upping your activity

    My dad actually gifted it to me. One night the charging contacts burned me and once it had healed I tried wearing it again with the contacts covered, but the material of the band gave me a rash. Thought it might be a one-off, so I cleaned it with peroxide and made sure it stayed dry. Got the rash again. It now sits on my table between my knitting needles and my odds-and-ends kit. I make sure I track my walks with MapMyFitness and that's all I've done so far.

    Fitbit customer service are excellent - I'd email them - they might change it for you
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,215 Member
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    vinegar_husbands wrote: »
    Small frame and high standards.

    Yes!
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited November 2015
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    When I run seven miles, I try not to take the first step thinking, "Oh, Zod, save me, seven miles is so far." I know where the first mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 14.3% done. I know where the second mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 28.6% done. And so on.

    I'd imagine that mini goals for weight loss work similarly.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited November 2015
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    When I run seven miles, I try not to take the first step thinking, "Oh, Zod, save me, seven miles is so far." I know where the first mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 14.3% done. I know where the second mile is. I try to get there. Woot, made it, 28.6% done. And so on.

    I'd imagine that mini goals for weight loss work similarly.

    I do the exact same thing when I run. Except I can't run that far yet.

    I don't eat my food in one big bite, I consume it one bite at a time. Achieving goals one bite at a time builds a framework of success that breeds a feeling of accomplishment.

    I don't just have weight loss goals (or call them milestones), I have fitness goals too.

    I like feeling accomplished rather than always striving for something so far out of reach. It's more fun to be able to see a target and know you'll get there because you've got that framework of success shoring you up.

    That's my preferred way of doing things.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    It's all about incentive and positive re-inforcement.

    Think about it this way, if you wanted to run a full marathon (26 miles) and you've never run EVER before it's incredibly easy to feel discouraged and like a failure. Why? Because it takes a long time to get up to that level. Each an every day you go out and run it's just consistently reminded that you AREN'T running a full marathon yet. The more negative an experience the less motivation you have to keep going.

    Instead setting smaller goals encourages you to continue and gives you a constant stream of positive reinforcement.

    Example:
    I want to run 1 mile!
    I want to run 3 miles!
    I want to run 5 miles!
    I want to run 10 miles!
    I want to run 15 miles!
    I want to run 20 miles!
    I want to run 25 miles!
    Marathon!

    You can slowly check off each little goal as you go along and feel positive and happy that you've made such significant progress towards your ultimate goal.

    I actually apply this method to almost everything in my life including business goals, housekeeping goals, etc. Breaking these up into not only daily, but weekly, monthly, etc. let's us know we're on track to that bigger better thing we're working towards.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
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    For me, meeting a mini goal is a continual motivator. If my only goal was to fit into size 10 jeans comfortably, it would take more than a year. When I make a mini goal, I can accomplish it in a reasonable amount of time and celebrate my victories. A mini goal for me isn't always about my weight. In fact, it rarely is. It can be as small as drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day for an entire month or as lofty as doing a 205 pound dead lift.
  • Artemiris
    Artemiris Posts: 189 Member
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    I have a final goal, but, although I don't have too much to lose (10/15kg), I set 6 mini-goals because I buy myself a book every time I reach a mini-goal.
    I only read e-books or listen to audiobooks, because I move often and it's better if I don't possess too many things. But I'm really motivated to reach my mini goals so that I can buy the books!
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    Mini goals are also helpful for people who are trying to do a full lifestyle overhaul. Going gung-ho all at once on grocery shopping differently, prepping different meals than the norm, working out on a set schedule, starting to use a food scale, logging all your food, maybe choosing to pack daily lunches, ect.... It's a lot to tackle in one swoop!

    Sometimes too much change too fast can be bad. Breaking it up into pieces (mini goals) can help the transition.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Positive reinforcement makes it easier to stick with a long-term process.
  • JennieMaeK
    JennieMaeK Posts: 474 Member
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    Like other's have said, I have mini goals because it seemed overwhelming to lose 95 lbs. So I broke it down into 10% goals, each on getting slightly smaller as my weight decreased. I reward myself when I reach one of these goals. I also have some moments I'm proud off, like getting below 200 lbs, halfway to goal. My next one is a BMI no longer in the obese range. I'm 5 lbs away from that. All just to keep me motivated. I also think it's important to set achievable, realistic goals. While my ultimate goal is to lose 95 lbs, starting out at 240 lbs that doesn't seem realistic or achievable. Mini goals made it more manageable.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    Setting smaller goals makes it easier for me. Yes, the big goal is in mind, but celebrating the small steps gives me encouragement and helps keep me going. There are a lot of people that do it for the same reason.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
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    When I started it was way too overwhelming to think of how far I had to go, so I set mini goals - many of them silly. I wanted to weigh less than my drivers license said I did, I wanted to weigh less than my husband, I wanted to be able to buy pants without having to go to the plus size store, etc., etc. It worked - I knew what the ultimate goal was (sorta, it changed as I got closer), but having the little mini goals helped break it down and keep me focused.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I set mini-goals because the thought of losing 150 pounds was just too overwhelming to contemplate. It is much easier and more motivating to focus on losing 5, 10 or 25 pounds at a time with lots of successful milestones. It will probably take me 2 years to reach my ultimate goal, which IS in the middle of my healthy BMI range. For any type of large task in life, it is usually recommended to set min-goals or milestones to break it into smaller achievable steps.
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  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I don't set them. They just happen. Goals are really just stuff you want. So yeah, I want to be thin. I don't know the final number and won't know until I get there. Right now, I want to see that digit in the tens spot change to the next number down.

    I want to be thin and wear thin people clothes, but I don't know what number that size will be. Right now, I want to get into a size 8. That's the next step.

    The end goals are less clear. I cannot snap my fingers and make them happen. I have to take it step by step. The stuff I want right now - the next step - those are my immediate goals. That's what I'm working on. Every step of the journey is an important one to reach. :)

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