So I ran a half-marathon on Sunday. Not too shabby as accomplishments go- 13.1 miles is nothing to sneeze at- even here in Boulder, where it seems like everyone and her dog runs/bikes/climbs/skis/hikes or otherwise engages in some healthy and/or extreme activity daily.
And yet I feel oddly let down by the experience. Like it was not that big an achievement. I did it, but…. so what?
I could actually feel this coming on. I knew I hadn’t trained well for this race, hadn’t given it much attention or energy. I’ve run these before- and even run a full marathon once. So I pretty much know the drill for training. I also know (for better or worse) that I’m always capable of running longer than I’ve run in training. So my training itself was pretty darn lackadaisical.
Towards the end, I got a little worried and stepped it up a bit, doing a couple of longer runs- topping out at an hour and 45 minutes. While on one of these runs, I started wondering to myself why I hadn’t gotten more serious about training sooner? Why hadn’t I been out running 4 or 5 days a week?
I realized that it was because I’d set myself a goal that was too small.
I decided to register for the race back in the spring because I wanted some motivation to get out and run. I love to run, but it’s all too easy to forget that when it’s dark outside and the bed is so nice and warm. Even after all these years when I know I ALWAYS feel better after a run. And never once have I ever said to myself… “I should have stayed in bed.”
Still. It’s hard to drag my tush out of bed and pull on my shoes.
This is why every now and then, I register for a race.
Only this time, it didn’t work. I kept going to boot-camp twice a week, but I didn’t start running.
Oh, maybe I’d go out on the weekends once. And then, slowly, I’d go for little short runs- 30 minutes or so. But that’s no way to train for a half-marathon.
About a month ago, I got semi-serious. I ran a couple of times a week in addition to (or instead of) boot-camp, and I got myself out for those longer runs.
And then, FINALLY, I remembered why I wanted to do this in the first place. Because I don’t even get warmed up until at least 30 minutes in. At 45 minutes or an hour, I’m feeling good. And from then on, I’m on cruise control.
This was what I’d been hoping for in registering for the race. A way to compel myself to find that zone that I love.
Kind of twisted I know… What can I tell you?
Except that I don’t seem to be the only one that needs to be compelled in some way or other to make time to do those things that are important to us. But that’s another post.
This post is about goals, and specifically, the need for BIG goals.
Now I’m not gonna diss small goals. There is a time and place for ‘babysteps.’ No question. We can discuss that in another post as well.
And what counts for one person as a small goal, might very well count for another as a big goal. I fully realize that for many folks, running a half-marathon would be a huge thing. And so by claiming that for me it wasn’t a big enough goal, I in no way intend to make a general claim that it’s not a big (or big enough) goal.
My point here is that there is a qualitative difference between a ‘big’ goal and a ‘small’ one. The actual content of the goal has very little to do with whether it’s a ‘big’ one or a ‘small’ one for any particular person. The differences between these kinds of goals can only be felt from the inside.
Big goals simply feel different from small goals.
10 Differences between BIG goals and Small Goals
a la David Letterman we have:
10. Small goals have small payoffs, big goals have big payoffs.
9. Small goals can often be achieved with only minor tweaks to the status quo- i.e. one’s typical habits, routines, etc. Big goals require some serious adjustments to the status quo.
8. Small goals seem so easy to accomplish, they are easy to put off. Assuming the big goal has a deadline, there’s only so long you can put off acting on a big goal, otherwise, you’ll never make it.
7. Small goals can often be achieved in one shot. Big goals require consistent action over an extended time.
6. The impact of small goal is typically short-lived, the impact of big goals lasts longer.
5. We often take a DIY approach to small goals. Big goals almost always require us to enlist the help and support of others.
4. Small goals allow us to stay in our comfort zone. Big goals take us out of our comfort zone.
3. There is little risk of failure with a small goal. The risk of failure is real with a big goal.
2. Small goals usually don’t scare us. Big goals always do.
And the number one difference
between a big goal and a small goal is that big goals have transformative potential. when you work towards a big goal (notice I didn’t say when you reach a big goal) , something shifts in who you are and how you see the world.
The punchline is that it’s not so much what you do, or even whether you achieve the big goal you set for yourself or not. It’s who you become along the way. Small goals don’t invite the same journey of self-discovery or self-creation that big goals to. And for my money, that’s the big payoff of big goals.
That’s why the half-marathon was too small a goal. It wasn’t enough to scare me, to make me shake up my normal routine, or to make a big impact on my life.
More on that later, but meantime….
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Very interesting. That transformative potential part is key, though sometimes we don’t want or need transformation
You might enjoy the blog Handmade Homeschool. Sara runs, too, and has recently tried her first (baby) triathalon. She’s big on big transformative goals, too.
.-= JoVE´s last blog ..Attn: Chicago folks =-.
@JoVE- For sure- transformation is not always the order of the day! And thanks for the suggestion- I’ll be sure to check out Handmade Homeschool.
Great article. It wasn’t until I read this that I should draw a distinction between the two so I can manage accordingly!