412

[MaryMartin]

Hey yall!  I don't want to be rude but please hear me out and realize that I have good intentions.

Ok, so I am listening to PABL episode #412.  Throughout the episode Cliff is talking about his "official" goal is to do physical activity 5 days per week. 

Really Cliff??

I think you have set your "official" goal low on purpose.  You have stated many times that when you don't get your physical activity all 7 days it is a "failure" of a day, but then justify it because your "official" goal is only 5 days per week.  I believe that your "actual" goal, the one you really want, is to do physical activity all 7 days per week.  I think that in the beginning you set your goal to 5 days per week for the "just in case" moments but that as time has gone by, you have proven to yourself that you can do physical activity everyday and still be productive.

I believe that your goal of physical activity 5 days per week isn't your "GOAL", but your "MINIMUM" that you would be comfortable with if necessary.  And if you were really honest with yourself, I bet you would be very "unsatisfied" if you only did physical activity 5 days.

I believe that if you were to really search your heart, you are trying to put in physical activity every day.

Maybe it is time to set a new goal.  Not meeting it all the time is fine for special occasions (like a family reunion or meeting with a friend for a movie screening).

If you are going to bed every night with the intentions of getting up the next morning and doing physical activity then THAT IS TRULY YOUR GOAL!!!!!

Please don't take this the wrong way, cause I love yall!!

[MaryMartin]

Ok, so I finished the episode and had some more thoughts.  According to dictionary.com the definition for GOAL is:


goal  /goʊl/  Show Spelled Pronunciation [gohl]  Show IPA

–noun
1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.
2. the terminal point in a race.
3. a pole, line, or other marker by which such a point is indicated.
4. an area, basket, cage, or other object or structure toward or into which players of various games attempt to throw, carry, kick, hit, or drive a ball, puck, etc., to score a point or points.
5. the act of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc., a ball or puck into such an area or object.
6. the score made by this act



I guess that my problem with  the episode is your use of the word.  A goal should be something that you strive to achieve, not just the minimum you would be happy with.  You are already past the physical activity of 5 days a week, so anyway...sorry for the rant.

[Cliff Ravenscraft]

Mary,

I take this in with the heartfelt way it was intended. 

First, can I say thank you!... Why?

I thank you for the relationship that you and I have had before coming to me with such a constructive criticism of something that bothers you.

Had the message above been the first time I'd ever received feedback from you or interacted with you, I might be very defensive.

However, I know you and your husband and I genuinely understand that you area friend and can almost hear the kind tone to your words which is next to impossible to communicate without a relationship to build on.

With that said.. I think I agree with you...   I think if you go with the actual definition of the word "goal," it would seem that intentional physical activity aka excercise of 1hr or more per week seems to an "unspoken goal."

The only thing that I'm tempted to push back on is this statement...

I think you have set your "official" goal low on purpose. 

This is the part I don't agree with.  Actually, I think that when I this goal on May 1st, 2009, actually seemed to be an very high but only "possibly obtainable goal."

Time came to reveal that I actually had it within me to achieve this goal on a very consistent basis which came as a great shock to me and inspired many others to set similar types of goals for themselves.

Now, while I've been averaging between 6 to 7 days a week on a regular basis.  The question then becomes... Should I "adjust my goal?"

You have stated many times that when you don't get your physical activity all 7 days it is a "failure" of a day, but then justify it because your "official" goal is only 5 days per week.  I believe that your "actual" goal, the one you really want, is to do physical activity all 7 days per week. 

I believe that your goal of physical activity 5 days per week isn't your "GOAL", but your "MINIMUM" that you would be comfortable with if necessary.  And if you were really honest with yourself, I bet you would be very "unsatisfied" if you only did physical activity 5 days.

I believe that if you were to really search your heart, you are trying to put in physical activity every day.

Maybe it is time to set a new goal.  Not meeting it all the time is fine for special occasions (like a family reunion or meeting with a friend for a movie screening).

If you are going to bed every night with the intentions of getting up the next morning and doing physical activity then THAT IS TRULY YOUR GOAL!!!!!

I think you are correct that somewhere deep within, I have set an unspoken goal of 7 days a week.  I agree with you that when I fail to have this physical activity on even one of the 7 days of the week, I feel bad about it.

However, I'm still thinking through this one.  I'm wondering if it would not be more along the lines of a "Balanced Life" to achieve a healthier outlook of "not overdoing it."

Here's the thing... Pursuing A Balanced Life is so much more than physical activity.

And well... To be honest... There are still areas of Balance that I'm not giving enough attention right now.

I believe as I get closer to the desired balance in each area, there will be more and more occasions where the 5 days a week goal will seem more inline with where I should be.

I listen to A LOT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS materials.  All of them suggest intentional physical activity a minimum of 30 minutes a day 3 to 5 days a week.

I'm on the upper end of this by setting my minimum goal at 60 minutes per day five days a week.

I do seem to come off as though I'm Justifying the days that I don't work out... However, I really do believe that I'm attempting to convince myself that this is not a failure, but it is all a part of adjusting to a more balanced approach and mindset to physical activity.


Do you see what I'm saying?