Flicking through the pages of social and general media, it's easy to get an inferiority complex wouldn't you say?
So and so has achieved this, what's his/her face has done that, Mr spoon has been to the moon etc, etc, etc, you know where I'm coming from.
You'll never get anything done unless you dream big, It's important to have a lifetime goal, think outside the box.
Although goal setting is important, does it really have to be as huge as running 110 miles or rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic?
In reality the answer is NO.
These kinds of goals, although pretty bloody spectacular, aren't on everyone's radar. These are goals for people at a specific point in their lives, people who have reached a kind of tipping point where they actually seem to be within reach.
For the vast majority of us they are for loonies. Most of us wouldn't entertain the idea of putting our bodies through such hell and to be fair, why would you?
But I will be honest and say, goals like this come from somewhere deep inside and they have to start from something.
Goals that don't cause overwhelm are a good place to start - something achievable in a realistic time frame that has a positive impact on your life.
So how big/small should a goal be?
It really doesn't matter.
What does matter is that is personal to you.
e.g. Being able to move better, moving more, being able to play with your kids (without feeling like a trip to A&E is imminent). Finding more time for family, eating more healthily, riding a bike, going out for a walk more often, swimming more often, taking up yoga, running a 5K, running a 10K, walking to the top of a specific mountain, drinking more water, drinking less alcohol, smoking fewer cigarettes, quitting altogether, lose 1kg of fat, gaining 1Kg of muscle..................These are all goals, they are all achievable and they will all have a positive impact on your life.
The funny thing is that when you complete that goal, you start thinking of another slightly bigger one. Your confidence has grown because you've realised you can do this goal stuff and it's fun - it makes you feel good.
It's also important to do goals one at a time. Just as setting too big a goal is overwhelming, too many goals is just as damaging.
Walk before you run and enjoy the process. Track what you do regularly and celebrate the wins no matter how small they are, it keeps your motivation high and momentum strong.
So go ahead and set yourself a goal. Let us know how you get on too, we'd love to know.
In Fitness & In Health
John 'He Shoots He Scores' Withinshaw