Pay the Price, or Pick a New Goal

The Intro

Every Goal Has a Price

Athletes are no strangers to setting goals: a race, a specific time we want to hit, a new distance, etc. Setting goals is important, and it feels good to reach big.

But every goal has a real cost. The number of hours it'll take. The (super) early mornings. The discomfort. The sacrifice of saying no to other things. The bigger the goal, the bigger the cost.

And to be clear, there is no such thing as a good or bad goal. A bigger goal with a higher cost does NOT make it better. There is only a good goal for us, right now, given our actual life. 

So the real question is never "is this a good goal." It is "is this goal worth its price, to me, right now."

There are no good or bad goals. There is only a good goal for us, right now, given our actual life. 

What we need to do

Get Honest About the Trade

This is not about being tough. It is about being objective.

Look at the goal and name what it will actually cost. Not the fantasy version, the real one: the hours each week, the mornings, the things you would have to give up. Then look at the reward and be honest about what it is genuinely worth to you. Not what it should be worth. Not what it is worth to someone on the internet. What it is worth to you.

Once you can see both sides clearly, there are only two honest answers.

There's Only One Wrong Way

Two Good Answers

If the reward is worth the price, pay it. Fully. And, after making that decision, commit to it with integrity. 

If the reward is not worth the price, that is completely fine. Pick a different goal. A smaller one, a later one, a different one that makes sense. It is not quitting, and it is not weakness. It is knowing yourself well enough to choose a goal you will really chase, instead of one you don't think is worth it.

The only bad answer is half-committing to a goal you don't believe in. If the cost isn't worth it, we can change the goal. If the goal is too small, we can change that too. Either way, the choice is ours.

Final Note

Wrap It Up

There are no good goals or bad goals. There is only what a goal costs, what it gives back, and whether that trade is worth it for you.

So price it honestly. Then either pay the cost and give it everything, or swap it for a goal that fits and chase that one instead. Both of those are wins. The middle is the only loss.

With this mindset, we build a routine we love and train consistently.