When I was studying at Gan Eng Seng School Anson Road, I had the good fortune of learning Geography (Sec 2) from a wonderful teacher Mdm Foo. She is still teaching at Gan Eng Seng by the way.
I remember fondly what she told us "slower" students:
"If others need 10 minutes to understand and you need 8 hours, so be it. Once you understand, there's no difference."
Goal setting is fine provided you have the wisdom to use it as a tool to support you; not as a rope to hang ourselves.
I'll use running a marathon as an example.
Finishing a marathon is a great achievement by itself. How many people around you have ran a marathon? (X amount)
To some, that is not good enough.
We must complete it within 6 hours (Y time). Then got certificate to show others mah! No certificate, no papers, no consider "success".
Would you rather be the one who finished a marathon in 12 hours or the one who always tell others (and yourself) I will run a marathon... one day...
Not everyone who starts a marathon will reach the finishing line.
1. Some never trained for it:
Can swim 50 laps in the pool does not make you automatically a long distance runner.
Chanting if I think I can I can ain't going to help much. No amount of positive thinking will overcome our lack of preparations.
2. Shit happens
We may get injured or fall sick during the run.
3. Paradigm shift
Those who jog or walk regularly will know that exercise is a great stress reliever. It calms our minds. In this "meditative" state of mind, sometimes we can get glimpses of our true heart.
It's a bit like in the movie where Forest Gump decides he no longer needs to run from coast to coast anymore.
No reason; no explanation. We just know.
Why you want to complete a marathon?
A few weeks back, there was an idiot runner who cheated in a Singapore race. He even got the cheek to claim the first prize award before the very surprised organiser found out the truth.
Sometimes it is not about completing or not completing a marathon.
It's always good to ask ourselves why the hell we want to run a marathon in the first place?
If we just want a certificate to brag to others or to fit in, "buying" it from someone who has completed a marathon can be a better use of our time.
And that's the saddest pitfall of bad goal setting - running other people's race.
Singapore Man of Leisure (welcome to my blog; just google it!)
