Running Motivation

The first rule of goal setting is defining what you want to achieve. Simple right? The second rule is understanding why you want to achieve it. It's not enough to simply define the goal, you must also be really dedicated to the "why" part of it as well. If you're not, nothing will happen. Don't believe me? Well ask yourself, why would you passionately pursue something if you don't know why you're doing it?

At the next stage of goal setting we must ask ourselves not how are we going to achieve the goal but who do we need to become in order to achieve it? What specifically are the actions and mindset required to make the goal a reality? How does someone who has already achieved what we want to achieve act and behave? What values do they have? Are you being realistic in how you are going to achieve the goal you have set or will you just fumble through life hoping that by some happy accident all your dreams will come true?

In other words, do you improve yourself each day in order to become the person you need to be in order to achieve the goal you want to achieve - or do you change nothing and do nothing and just hope everything will somehow work out for the best? Remember, be honest!

As people, we love to focus on events - not the process. What do I mean by that? Well, we love to step on the scales and see that we are four pounds lighter than we were last week - we don't love the training and the dieting! Do we? We love to watch and experience the Super Bowl, we don't love to watch the hours of practise and drills the players go through to perfect their on-field systems which allows them to make it to the big game. We love events - not processes.

Getting good grades is hard work. Being fit and healthy is hard work. Being a great musician is hard work. The process of achievement always weeds out the weak - and unfortunately it doesn't always reward the strong.

Passing school is hard and getting good grades is even harder. But the rewards (i.e. events) along the way, such as getting a positive report card, serve to reinforce the desire and attitude required to go through the process to see the ultimate event happen. It's survival of the fittest. When events don't happen, or the event seems too far away and out of each, the process becomes too much to handle.

This is a significant distinction in terms of goal setting and goal achievement. Keeping in mind that because we love events and not processes, it stands to reason that we will struggle to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. Why? Well we don't want to go through the hard yards to make it happen. We just want the event - the goal being achieved! Make sense doesn't it?

By focusing on the process (and not just the event) and how the process is going to occur you are far more likely to achieve your goal. By asking yourself who you need to become to achieve your goal (like "Who do I need to become to achieve an A average for Science?") you are demonstrating that you understand how a goal is actually achieved - and questioning how you are going to make it through the process. So, who do you need to become to achieve the goals you want to achieve?

Achieving goals doesn't happen by chance. You must understand what the goal is and why it is important - and then you must make the decision to go through the process in order to reach the event. If you focus on the event (which is what we are inclined to do) you will find it very difficult to get through the process. If you focus only on the event, the process won't happen and the goal won't be achieved. What will you decide?