Read on: danhwilliams.com

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I’m delaying my deep dive into What Causes Hip Pain by a week. Sorry..
I want to write about my most important mind trick..


I want to write about targets..

Targets are the most important mind trick we can play on ourselves.
A mind trick to get our lazy selves up, out and moving more.
A mind trick that I can't live without..
 
That realisation crystallised over the last 2weeks.
I've been thinking about a bit of a quandary..
 
The Sunday before last, I ran the Great North Run with Dad and my brother.

A great day. Wonderful crowds. Really friendly people.

I sat drafting this with sore legs, happy memories and a couple of good stories.
 
The run was my target for 2024.
The focus of my running, cycling and training.
My motivation to get out and move more. To stay strong. To stay healthy.


And my right hip pain..?

Completely settled.
(100% = Good)

Aside from one small blip in July this year..
Brought on by the whole-body inflammation of a cold.

(I get a cold and my back also aches a bit more)

So my quandary.. how do I stay motivated to run most days?
..to keep my hip pain settled.

My quandary becomes.. what next?
And that question reveals our most important mind trick..
 

The Next Target.

And how to think about setting targets.

I’ve got my target in mind for next year. It's a decade long target.
What I’d like to achieve just after a milestone birthday.
(and, shhh, say it quietly, it's a big one!)


BUT what to do in between now and then.
That milestone is a year away.
I need something in between.
 
To keep me motivated.
To keep me moving.
To keep me healthy.

 
Sure, there’s family, friends, enjoyable work challenges, exciting projects reaching out to the likes of you good people. They all motivate and excite me..


BUT moving more is really important to me.
Important to my health and well being.


And that helps me do ALL the other things.

I know I can hit my daily target, my weekly target if I’ve got the right 3-month target in place.

A target 1-year away is somehow too far into the future..


A Chain of Targets

I’ve worked out I need a chain of targets.
And that chain needs to be complete.

So, for me, it's:

• Milestone BIG birthday target (10yrs)
• My next yearly target
• My next 3-month?
• One-weeker
• Today.

BUT it’s that 3-month-er that I’m struggling with at the mo’.
 
What to aim for?

..I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, drop me a line and let me know your next target?
Perhaps we can motivate each other..