"I think you meant "timely" instead of "timply" in your SMART acronym?"
Indeed I did. S.M.A.R.T. goals are a regular thing. I didn't make up the acronym. It's a common technique to ward off gloom and depression. Therapists, life coaches, etc frequently recommend these things. The great thing about it is that it's kind of self-customized. You can line up your goals to meet the realities of your life. Simple (sometimes people use Specific). It just means it's something very clear and not ambiguous. "Have more fun" doesn't fit. "Be healthier" doesn't fit. "Go to the gym twice each week" is specific and easy to know whether you did it or not. That kind of thing Measurable just means it's objectively certain whether you did it or not. There's no judgment in an objective measurement. "lose 5 pounds" is a measurement. Achievable means it'll take a little effort but if you try you'll do it. 10,000km this year is achievable for me in my current life set-up, but it does mean I'm going to have to try. In comparison, for 2023 I barely made 3000 miles, under 5000km. Relevant means it's something to build towards some other larger objective that is important to me. My fitness goals are all aimed at extending my life and maximizing my quality of life. Timely means it can happen in a reasonable amount of time. "Ride 200,000 miles in my life" is not timely. "Live to be 90" is not timely, but it may be an outcome that is helped along. I'm knocking out tiny smart-goals almost weekly. Bill Lindsay El Cerrito, CA On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 9:39:22 AM UTC-8 George Schick wrote: > The trouble is that too many other things interfere with my biking - yard > work, home repairs and routine maintenance, auto repair and maintenance, > and of course, the weather which can be unpredictable, especially in these > latitudes. IIRC the last 100 miler I rode was something like 2007, the > last 100K was maybe a year or two later. During those years I managed to > squeeze around 1,500 miles out of the biking season (Spring, Summer, & > Fall). Not any more. I'm lucky to get 500miles a year on both road > bikes. I just can't seem to get the time and weather to rack up any more > than that plus I'm just physically slower than I used to be - my 75th is > coming up soon. And, though I hate to bring it up, with the advancing age > comes a plethora of new medical problems whether physical (muscular, joint, > or arthritic) or systemic (cardiac, decreasing lung function, or just plain > fatigue). > > Good luck with your goals, I hope you make them. When I was 55 I was far > more able to do similar things than I am now. BTW, I think you meant > "timely" instead of "timply" in your SMART acronym? > > > On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 11:22:56 AM UTC-6 Bill Lindsay wrote: > >> Jock said "but beware the ‘ride your age’ program. I embarked on this >> years ago and found we too quickly reach the point where the math just >> doesn’t look so good…i.e. it’s all backwards." >> >> At what age did you start? How long did it go? and when did you decide >> for yourself that you can no longer do it? I definitely see riding 100 >> miles on my 100th birthday would be worthy of national news. 80 miles on >> my 80th also seems a stretch. 70 miles on my 70th I absolutely won't >> concede unless something bad happens to me, health-wise. There are TONS of >> SFRandonneurs riders well into their 70s doing 200k brevets like nothing >> more than an honest-day's-work. I want to be like them. >> >> Bill Lindsay >> El Cerrito, CA >> >> On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 9:08:36 AM UTC-8 John Dewey wrote: >> >>> All worthy goals…but beware the ‘ride your age’ program. I embarked on >>> this years ago and found we too quickly reach the point where the math just >>> doesn’t look so good…i.e. it’s all backwards. >>> >>> My grandfather, who taught me all I ever needed to know about bicycle >>> mechanics, had a goofy plaque over his workbench: ‘Vee get too soon oldt >>> und too late schmart’. >>> >>> Jock >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 5, 2024 at 6:48 AM Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> Often we do a goals thread, and there seems to me that there's a schism >>>> on how to approach goals. Some folks have very specific goals: i.e. >>>> "average 10 miles a day over the year". Others enjoy eschewing the >>>> specificity: i.e. "have more fun on the bike". >>>> >>>> I'm a devotee of S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are (S)simple, (M)easurable, >>>> (A)chievable, (R)relevant, (T)imply. The notion of the S.M.A.R.T. goal >>>> has >>>> improved my life in several ways and maybe in a way has saved my life. I'm >>>> a compulsive person and I'm a numbers guy. I'm going to be compulsive >>>> about *something >>>> , *so if that something can be achievable and healthy, then that's a >>>> good thing. I've gotten into the habit of setting up tons of tiny >>>> S.M.A.R.T. goals, and it sets me up to have a regular pattern of taking >>>> W's. >>>> >>>> My big picture goals for 2024 include: >>>> >>>> 10,000km ridden >>>> Summit Mount Diablo 5 times on 5 different bikes >>>> Put myself in the position to attempt my first 400k brevet >>>> Complete the Marin Mountains 200k brevet >>>> Complete 25% of every city in Contra Costa County on Wandrer >>>> Complete 25% of Marin County on Wandrer >>>> Ride 55 miles on my 55th birthday and kick off riding my age on my >>>> birthday as a regular event >>>> >>>> Bill Lindsay >>>> El Cerrito, CA >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8a7e8cfc-b9fe-4990-876c-20c4211b6c44n%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8a7e8cfc-b9fe-4990-876c-20c4211b6c44n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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