Goals- submitted by Mike Bash

What are your goals?

Goals are a good thing to have when it comes to fitness. 

Goals help me decide what to do: of all the myriad things that may help me stay fit, what should I be doing?  If my goal is to bench press 150% of my body weight, a lot of running probably isn’t going to help.  If my goal is to have a better time in a 50K ski race, hours and hours powerlifting in the weight room isn’t the best use of my fitness time either.  By articulating my goals, I can better decide what I need to be doing.

Goals also let me know whether what I’m doing is actually working: Are my race times improving?  Do I feel better when I’m skiing up hills?  Am I having fun?

Goals also help me stay motivated:  I need to keep in front of my mind “why” I’m doing these things.  If my goals is to have fun, telling myself that helps me keep my workouts in perspective; if I’m not as fast as some others, I don’t let myself get stressed about that.  If my goal is to race well, telling myself that helps me keep the mental focus and discipline to keep working hard, even when I’m not having much fun. 

Goals can be long-term: For example, I may want to hit my 60^th birthday in better shape than I was on my 50^th (or at least arrest the downhill slide a little).  That’s a good goal, but it might be a little amorphous for day-to-day planning.  I may need to break that down into a series of smaller goals.

Goals can also be short-term:  For example, I want to have at least five quality work-outs this week.  This is a good goal, too, but I will need to relate that to a bigger picture to stay motivated after this week.

Be realistic and honest about goals:  This is where I often have a hard time.  Goals that are too high set me up for failure and disappointment.  I always try to set my goals high, give myself something to strive for, but be realistic about my abilities, my time and my other priorities.  I need to maintain a proper attitude about what I am trying to accomplish by skiing (having fun, meeting new friends, finishing a marathon, bettering my time, placing in the top 10, winning a race  .  .  .  the list can go on and on).   Goals can give me reasons to work hard, plan ahead, and give a sense of accomplishment. 

Rewards:  This is the fun part.  I like to reward myself when I accomplish something.  Not so much as an incentive, but as recognition for myself of the accomplishment.  I need to be thoughtful, however, about my rewards.  If I choose my rewards unwisely, I can set myself up for failure in the future.  Hmmm . . .  For example, if I ‘reward’ myself by binging on my favorite food, I begin to program my mind that I’m denying myself that food and setting myself up to perhaps crave it even more.  Or, if I get the new TV or some new video game, I encourage myself to become a couch potato. That’s not good for me. 

Instead, I like to reward myself with something that will help me continue on the path of pursuing my goals.  I might, for example, reward myself by upgrading a the equipment I use in pursuing my skiing or fitness goals or going on a long weekend ski or bike trip.

What about your goals?

Is your primary goal to have fun, enjoy the companionship of others in the Ski Club, and learn a life-long sport?  Or are you a competitive maniac, not content until you are at the head of the pack in every race?  Do you realistically have a shot at a top-ten finish, are you trying to cut you time in a 10K race, or are you hoping to finish a long-distance race for the first time?  How much time every week can you realistically devote to quality training?  Answering these kinds of questions will help you evaluate what you need to do in order to meet your goals.

Take the time to state your goals; it can make the season more enjoyable and give you something to look back on with a sense of accomplishment.  Be thoughtful about your rewards, too.  What will help you to become a better skier, a more fit individual?