The Value and Importance of Goals

When beginning an new endeavor, project, or training regime it is important to set goals.  Goals are what keep you on track to achieving the desired outcome.  Without goals their in no urgency or external "push" to achieve a milestone.  Often times without goals procrastination takes over, we slip back into old habits, and are reluctant to forge ahead.

When you set goals, it's important to have them visible to you every day, so you know what you have to do that day, and you feel the accomplishment of checking that goal off, and move on to the next one.  If they are hidden in a folder on your computer, then they tend to fall off your radar.

The next step is to actually set goals.  Start BIG - start will your biggest goal - ideally the end goal and work downward.  With your end goal written down, set goals for 6-12 months, goals for the month, goals for each week in that month, and goals for the day.  Each goal should be a step toward reaching the end goal.  As a high-level example:
Daily goals: complete workout prescribed for today
Weekly goals: complete all workouts for the week
Monthly goal: complete workouts and exceed monthly testing by X, Y, Z
6 month goal: achieve X time in X race
12 month goal: PR time from 6 month goal in similar race
End goal:  Qualify for X race

This is obviously very high level and we want to include both qualitative and quantitative goals in order to reach our end goal.  Qualitative are descriptive  - "I want to feel better when I'm running", whereas quantitative goals are measurable - I want to run X miles in Y time.  Again, all of these should be set with the end goal in mind.

Personally I set goals for all areas in my life: family, sport, work, business, financial and personal growth and I look at them every morning and every night,  knowing that if I work every day toward the end goal I will achieve it.  For my daily goals I fill out an index card and keep it in my wallet and check off the goals as I accomplish them.  This keeps me honest and focused on reaching my end goal.

Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~ Diana Scharf Hunt