Make plans, not resolutions.

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
edited November 23 in Fitness and Exercise
I want to share something I read a long time ago on a site about the joys of hiking and climbing, and sometimes about other things too. I'm posting this now because of the obvious seasonal urge to come up with a list of promises to ourselves.

Every December, we take stock of what we did last year, writing another chapter in our autobiography. A few days later, sometimes after pounding way too much champagne, we gear up for another trip around the sun by deciding how we want to improve ourselves in the next year. Sometimes we throw out pretty vague statements that don’t require us to be accountable to ourselves: I’m going to be a better husband this year. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to run more.

...

So are we dreaming, or are we making plans? There’s a big difference between broadcasting something about someday riding the Kokopelli Trail and sending one close friend a rough itinerary and asking, What are you doing the weekend of April 20th?

http://semi-rad.com/2013/01/make-plans-not-resolutions/

Replies

  • Ann262
    Ann262 Posts: 266 Member
    Good read!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Good post.
  • bketchum1981
    bketchum1981 Posts: 130 Member
    I like this suggestion.

    I like to think of the New Year as a continuation of the journey.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    Good post. One saying that I like is " A Goal without a Plan is just a Wish"

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I've had this goal, or maybe wish, for a few years now: ride a bike up Slate Peak. That's the highest road in the state, it's very rough, it's a hot and thirsty place, and it's heartbreakingly beautiful.

    I always had a basic idea about how I was going to do it. When the pedal comes up, push it down again. Stay in a hotel nearby so I don't have to drive too far. It's really not that complicated.

    I did it last fall. Now I need a new goal. Actually, I have a backlog of goals, I need to decide which ones to focus on.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    Celebrate my 50th by climbing Mt. St. Helens again. Did it 3 years ago with my family. It kicked my butt, but wow, what a great day. I want to do it again. It's never the same twice, I hear :) Can't make this goal without a plan...
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    SMART goals
    Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound

    I.E. - I will lose 30 pounds by July 31, 2018. I will do this by eating a deficit of 500 calories a day which is about one pound each week.

  • Ann262
    Ann262 Posts: 266 Member
    GemstoneofHeart wrote: »
    SMART goals
    Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound

    I.E. - I will lose 30 pounds by July 31, 2018. I will do this by eating a deficit of 500 calories a day which is about one pound each week.

    Good but, what if you eat a deficit of 500 calories per day, but come July 31, you have only lost 25 pounds or 15? Have you failed? Some people would think they did fail.

    That is was I was talking about the difference between process goals and outcome goals. Process goals are within your control, outcome goals are not.

    One has to be careful of outcome goals and know yourself well. Some people feel defeated if they did everything right but didn't get the outcome they expected by MM/DD/YY.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    GemstoneofHeart wrote: »
    SMART goals
    Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound

    I.E. - I will lose 30 pounds by July 31, 2018. I will do this by eating a deficit of 500 calories a day which is about one pound each week.

    better would be - i want to lose 30lbs by July 31; you have a goal, but you aren't being definitive

    or go smaller - 30lbs is a huge goal - but you could break it down into 5lb goals - or similar
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