Wanted: Motivation

I recently made a Facebook posting that sums up my biggest challenge right now.  I said that I’m playing a game of Where’s Waldo, except it’s not Waldo I’m looking for; it’s Motivation.  And the little bugger has a good hiding spot.  I usually have a good store of intrinsic motivation and pull in extrinsic motivators when needed.  Even the promise of clothes and books and mini vacays can’t seem to help me muster the motivation I want.

I love race day competition!  

I had a revelation about why.  I’m not exactly clear what my goals are so I’m struggling to figure out where to put my efforts.  I have several races lined up this year and my only goal right now is to finish.  However, I’ve finished these same or similar races before so the drive to push myself in training is weak.  I don’t have a time goal or placement goal which might help push me if I did.
 
A common goal strategy is setting up SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.  By establishing goals that outline these five metrics, you set yourself up for actually achieving realistic goals.  I haven’t spent enough time evaluating my goals against these metrics so I’m going to start this week.  I’d like to set up a few SMART goals for fall 2012.  With a, give or take, six month timeframe, I should be able to create specific, measureable, attainable and relevant goals for that time.

While I love a wide variety of activity, running is one of my favorite sports.  I relish the time I spend pounding pavement.  It’s a time to collect my thoughts and enjoy fresh air.  I really enjoy the half marathon distance because it’s an achievable length for me but one that requires focus and strength to complete.  I’d like to structure my first goal around a finish time for a half in the fall.  I’m still thinking about what goals will drive me and I’ll keep you posted as I start working towards them.

As I consider what other fitness goals I’d like to achieve in 2012, I’d also like to hear what have you have planned.  Do you find it challenging to set SMART goals?  Have you experienced the loss of motivation?  How did you find it again?  I believe that we can learn from others’ experiences so feel free to share how you achieve fitness and how you find motivation when it’s hiding from you in a good spot.