Why Do People Set Mini Goals?

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  • theawill519
    theawill519 Posts: 242 Member
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    Because I celebrate progress, not just perfection :)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I've blogged about the importance of intermediate goals a couple times.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/in-it-for-the-long-haul-focus-722409

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/setting-goals-715717

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
    I have both mini-goals which I celebrate and a final goal. I don't change the goals in MFP to show my mini goal, just the end-all-be-all goal, but I have the mini's marked in my calendar. One is the weight I'd like to be by our anniversary. Another is Christmas, another is my birthday in February, and then final goal. So I don't pick a poundage per say, but I have an idea where I'd really be happy to find myself by certain milestones in my life.

    Yes, this is how I approached it.

    I also had mini goals for various fitness things -- run a 10K, bike 50 miles, stuff like that.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    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 do this too, sometimes. More often when swimming laps or running on the treadmill or a race (my outdoor training runs tend to be enjoyable for me). Back when my main swimming was just laps and not drills and could be super boring I'd be constantly doing division -- 1/50th done, 2%,! 1/25 done, 4%!, so on. Plus, it was the only way I could avoid losing count entirely.

    As for ultimate goal weight, I'm well within the healthy range based on BMI, and I still don't know what my final number will end up being, so I don't really think setting a final goal matters that much. I did, since I'd been at a weight I liked as an adult, and have sense revised it a tiny bit, but I care more about how I look and BF% than the number on the scale, of course.
  • BreederUK
    BreederUK Posts: 60 Member
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    I set an end of month weight goal at the start of the month. Generally its a 5kg loss. I generally achieve my goal sometimes by 1-2kg. It helps keep me motivated.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    Positive reinforcement makes it easier to stick with a long-term process.

    This is my reason in a nutshell. If I can succeed at losing 10% of my body weight, I can succeed at losing 50 lb. If I can succeed at that, I can succeed at losing half of the weight I want to lose. And ever onward until I reach my final goal.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    Obnoxa wrote: »
    Same reason you run through every colour in the rainbow before getting a black belt, really.

    This isn't true for every dojo. I only went through a white belt and a brown belt before I got to shodan. Others I know only wore a white belt until they got to black belt. Still others go through all of those colors.

    Interestingly this still kind of applies to the OP's topic. The choice of how many belt colors/goals one needs to experience and celebrate before reaching their end goal* is really up to the individual, or as in the case of a martial art, up to the dojo cho.

    *Actually for a serious martial artist the first degree black belt does not mark an end goal but a new beginning. It is the point at which the student has earned the right to become a member of the ojo rather than a guest, and so is at the point that they can truly begin to learn the art.

  • scorpcookie
    scorpcookie Posts: 113 Member
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    I find that mini-goals are a good way to see your progress and nice little milestones to celebrate along the way. If I had a really large amount of weight to lose and only concentrated on the end goal, I would probably go insane. But those mini-goals would really help me keep my sanity.
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 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?

    For me personally I don't set mini weight goals, I have 100-130 pounds to lose to hit a healthy weight, thats alot and it may be more manageable and I may change my mind later on... But right now I"m setting weekly goals in relations to my eating and working out and just checking and weighing in as I see my doctors (and since I see them every month or so , sometimes more sometimes less) hopefully the weight loss will be a nice surprise. And working on my diet and exercise feels better than constantly battling the scale. But that is just me.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    So wouldn't weekly goals be mini goals?

    Just as s black belt is seen asas new beginning in karate, reaching one's "final" weight goal is a new beginning on maintenance and a lifetime of health and fitness growth.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
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    I feel less overwhelmed thinking about the short term.
  • hapa11
    hapa11 Posts: 182 Member
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    I set mini goals for all aspects of my life, not just weight loss. When I have a big work project I break it up into chunks. When I go for a 5 mile run I will go to the end of the song before slowing down. I can't imagine NOT breaking things up into manageable pieces.
  • FabianRodriguez94
    FabianRodriguez94 Posts: 221 Member
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    I started at 228 and had to set goals to keep myself motivated.
    Original goal was 160, so my first mini goal was to be under 200. Then to be considered "overweight" and not "obese".
    Then i got to 160 and felt I wasn't done, so I went for "healthy" weight. Now I'm at 149 and am going for 130-135.

    Goals change, big or small.

    And if exercise is a big part of the weight loss process, setting fitness goals can also be very inspirational. Started at a 15 minute mile, am now at 8 minutes.
    Also strength goals- trained hard and finally managed to complete my first pull up about 2 months ago. Now im doing 5 sets of 6-8.

    Gotta keep busy or else you risk becoming a bit to cozy and could fall off the wagon.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
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    As someone who has 100 lbs to lose, having those smaller rewards makes it a lot easier and fell less overwhelming. I personally have it to where I will reward myself with something for every 20 lbs I lose - that's a lot closer than 100 lbs. If that all makes sense?
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    Many mini goals has worked for me. MFP shows a long term goal and that is not fixed, because I haven't been at a healthy weight since 1999; even then I wanted to have less fat and more muscle. Some of my goals are measured in pounds, some measured in inches, and some are measured by blood tests which translate to taking less medication.
  • _Justinian_
    _Justinian_ Posts: 232 Member
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    I don't do mini goals. I have one goal. To reach my target weight of 155 pounds and to maintain it for AT LEAST two years (exception being if I gain muscle while still losing body fat). I won't celebrate a single thing until that time. This is a supposed to be a lifestyle change. A permanent one. I don't want to know what people did to reach their goals. I want to know how people LIVE who have already reached their goal weight and maintained it for x number of years.

    I haven't been to the gym in over two months. I only started hiking two weeks ago (because I love it, not because I want to lose weight) and I dance once a week (for the same reasons). I have a desk job and spend a majority of my free time during the week sitting on my bum and playing video games or reading books. I don't use a food scale, don't log my foods every day, and I think my highest streak on this website was 7 days. Despite all that, I am still losing weight. I am simply aware (through trial and error) of how many calories I consume vs. how many I burn. And I know that if I can lose weight when I am not active at all, then I can definitely lose weight when I am exercising.

    If you need motivation to want to return your body to a healthy state, that is a problem in my opinion (asking for help is a different matter). What happens when you get sick? When you are depressed? When you injure yourself and can't exercise? When you can't access this site for support? When LIFE happens? What happens after you reach your goal? Why is the "maintaining weight" forum only 114 pages or so, yet the "weight loss" one over 6,000?

    This isn't an attack on anyone personally or even an angry post, it's just something I am noticing from reading the countless threads on here and it troubles me. I feel like the mindset that many people have on here is all wrong.

    Nothing makes me more sad than to see someone lose all of their weight and reach their goal, and then gain it all back again.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    _Justinian_ wrote: »
    I don't do mini goals. I have one goal. To reach my target weight of 155 pounds and to maintain it for AT LEAST two years (exception being if I gain muscle while still losing body fat). I won't celebrate a single thing until that time. This is a supposed to be a lifestyle change. A permanent one. I don't want to know what people did to reach their goals. I want to know how people LIVE who have already reached their goal weight and maintained it for x number of years.

    I haven't been to the gym in over two months. I only started hiking two weeks ago (because I love it, not because I want to lose weight) and I dance once a week (for the same reasons). I have a desk job and spend a majority of my free time during the week sitting on my bum and playing video games or reading books. I don't use a food scale, don't log my foods every day, and I think my highest streak on this website was 7 days. Despite all that, I am still losing weight. I am simply aware (through trial and error) of how many calories I consume vs. how many I burn. And I know that if I can lose weight when I am not active at all, then I can definitely lose weight when I am exercising.

    If you need motivation to want to return your body to a healthy state, that is a problem in my opinion (asking for help is a different matter). What happens when you get sick? When you are depressed? When you injure yourself and can't exercise? When you can't access this site for support? When LIFE happens? What happens after you reach your goal? Why is the "maintaining weight" forum only 114 pages or so, yet the "weight loss" one over 6,000?

    This isn't an attack on anyone personally or even an angry post, it's just something I am noticing from reading the countless threads on here and it troubles me. I feel like the mindset that many people have on here is all wrong.

    Nothing makes me more sad than to see someone lose all of their weight and reach their goal, and then gain it all back again.

    Dude..... I felt like you shoulda been rocking some Eye of the Tiger during this speech/rant
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 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.

    Why not pay it forward and hand it on to someone who would benefit from it, sell it on Craigslist or trade it on Craigslist for one you might actually be able use (provided there's nothing actually wrong with it that is)

  • TracyeS4
    TracyeS4 Posts: 746 Member
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    BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »
    Maybe so they dont get discouraged? So maybe over see things better ( overwhelmed or impressed by it all)
    A lady here in the community does it in steps too. And every goal is a party for her... i love it. As long as it works for people :)

    For me i just said i am going to lose the excess weight. Had to set a goal weight (145 lbs) but it is just a number...

    At this point searching for maintaining level and still not really interested in the goal weight..i see it more as a range.

    My goal was healthy and fit as possible for a "senior" woman lol

    And at this point i am exactly where i wanted. Feeling good/happy/fitter and healthier
    Still a work in progress but that is with a whole other purpose/goal in mind.

    95069916.png

    I'm so happy for you. Congrats on your success!
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    _Justinian_ wrote: »
    ...Why is the "maintaining weight" forum only 114 pages or so, yet the "weight loss" one over 6,000?...

    Because it hasn't existed as long. Our maintenance posts used to be in the general forum, so they are part of the 6,000.

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