Goal Setting

We always hear about how important it is to set goals. Preferably in writing. And refer back to them often. I have to say, I've been operating without goals and it's been working pretty well for me. I'm operating more from a vision but I'm letting the particulars work themselves out. For example, with my health and wellness goals, I have a vision of being fit and healthy. I know that part achieving my vision necessitates regular exercise. In the past, part of the goal included included finishing a race or fitting into a particular size clothing and always required doing something for a minimum number of minutes or miles per week. This worked OK until life got busy, it was raining or I ate myself into a food coma so couldn't possibly run 5 miles. I let other things get in the way of my well laid training schedule. By contrast, now, I am always asking myself what I want to do and then when I get out there, I do it until I want to stop. Mostly, I have been running and feeling like a little kid just enjoying the feeling of my body moving, soaking in the sights and being outside even on a cold winter morning with whipping winds like yesterday. I am turning inward and asking my body how it feels, if it wants to keep moving and I am respecting its answers. The best part is, I am making time to run. I enjoy it. I am doing it not because I "should" but because I want to run, to move, to have some time to myself, to be outside. If I was telling myself I needed to be running 30 minutes four times a week, would the result be any different? The enjoyment any less? I don't know. I have always enjoyed running in the past but would also find excuses to bail on runs. Maybe the difference is that I know I deserve this gift for myself. Maybe the difference is that I'm trying to remember why it's fun to move my body. Maybe I was approaching it from a push versus pull mentality. I don't know but I do promise to keep looking inward and discovering what works and what doesn't work. Stay posted...