Forums >General Running>Is there a difference between a goal & a resolution?
sugnim
Just for general discussion here, do you see a difference between a running related New Year's resolution and a running related goal for the new year?
Sounds like semantics to me. I have a "goal" to run all of 2013, at least 2 miles a day for the whole year. I'm not going to call it a "resolution" though just because I don't care for the word resolution.
I notice that most people that make a resolution turn out not to be very resolute in most cases, but people who set goals? They seem to achieve them more often :-)
The Plan '15 → /// "Run Hard, Live Easy." ∞
I might resolve to run more in 2013 than I did in 2012.
I might set a goal of running a certain time for the 10k.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Feeling the growl again
Goals make it past January.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
They are overlapping terms that people use to mean overlapping things.
Good goals are tangible and measurable. "Resolutions" may or may not be.
I made that up.
Mostly harmless
Resolution generally implies that you are trying to "fix" something. Goal is a much better word in my opinion.
This reminds me of one of my favorite coach-isms,"a goal without a plan is just a wish." I don't know who said that first but I really like it. If you have a goal, make a plan to achieve it or else you are just dreaming. Of course there is nothing wrong with dreaming, just don't be too disappointed when you wake up and you haven't achieved anything.
"It doesn’t matter how often you do it or how much you accomplish, in general, not running is a lot easier than running." - Meb Keflezighi
I think of resolutions as doing something different than you had previously, or changing something about you.
Stop smoking
Go vegitarian
Start running
Join the gym
Loose X pounds
Goals are more about continuing what you're already doing, but at a higher/better level.
Improve a race PR
Loose another 5 pounds by summer
But yeah, it's a pretty fuzzy distinction!
Losing x pounds is one of my running goals every year.
This year x = 44 (as of Dec 26)
I have running goals and life goals - Not any resolutions.
I think of resolutions as doing something different than you had previously, or changing something about you. Stop smoking Go vegitarian Start running Join the gym Loose X pounds Goals are more about continuing what you're already doing, but at a higher/better level. Improve a race PR Loose another 5 pounds by summer But yeah, it's a pretty fuzzy distinction!
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
I guess I was trying to say someone who had done nothing to watch their weight previously would have a resolution to loose weight in the new year.
Someone who had already had success loosing some weight would set a goal to loose a few more pounds.
A Saucy Wench
A resolution is about a behavior, a goal is about an outcome.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Village people
I like that.
Ha ha, yes. I was going to say that goals are something that you actually do, but was beaten to the punch.
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
Resolutions are things you can do... NOW. Goals are things that you strive for, or attain LATER. So yeah, what Ennay said.
be curious; not judgmental
For the next month or so the local Y will be extra crowded with resolutionists, making it harder to get a treadmill. By March they'll all be gone, and it'll be back to the usual crowd, working on their goals.
A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.
Tessa
Resolutions are internal. You control them.
Goals are external. You may or may not be able to control them.
I resolve to run 4x a week. That's something I have control over (in almost all cases, unless there's something unexpected like an injury).
My goal is to break Xx for the full. That's external. I may or may not be able to achieve it. It's possible, but there are so many factors involved that I may not make that goal.
Also IMHO resolutions should be within your power. Goals should require some stretching and effort to reach.