"The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby"
Beep!
Moby!
Your running group is here!
Hm.
Hey, did you hear me?
--Beep.
I know your favorite show is on, but you can't just ditch your friends.
"Dear Tim and Moby,
I spend most of my time after school playing video games and talking
to people online, even when I have tons of stuff to do.
How can I get more done?
From, Marco"
Thanks for writing, Marco!
Playing games and watching TV are fun,
but they can keep you from getting stuff done.
--Beep!
You have to accomplish all kinds of tasks
just to get through a day — homework and chores,
or even brushing your teeth and showering.
Getting things done also makes you feel good about yourself.
That’s why you signed up to run that race, right, Moby?
--Beep!
Yeah, it’s cool to imagine that you could run three whole kilometers.
That's a goal: some objective you'd like to reach.
Setting a meaningful goal ups your motivation and helps you get results.
Plus, it makes you feel happier, less stressed,
and more satisfied with your life.
But setting a goal is just the first step.
You have to come up with a plan for how to achieve it.
--Beep!
Don't give up so easily.
You made a great first step by signing up for that race.
It's a nice, specific goal.
You're way more likely to get something done
when it's clearly defined.
"Start running" isn't very specific.
How will you know when you've reached that goal?
After you've run once?
Three times? For a month?
"Run the Robot 3K" is much more specific.
--Beep!
It's a single event, with a deadline, June 21.
When goals have due dates,
it's much easier to plan for achieving them.
Good idea!
Writing your goal down is a great motivator.
It feels more real when you see it spelled out,
and it'll serve as a reminder.
We can also use this space to set down your action plan.
--Beep!
Hm, it's pretty ambitious to start running three kilometers every day.
You want your goal to push you out of your comfort zone.
But if it’s too hard, you might give up.
Breaking your goal down into manageable chunks
will make it more doable.
First, lets check in where you are now.
How much running have you done lately?
--Beep.
Okay, none, that's… that's okay.
Let's start with something we know you can do,
like half a kilometer.
--Beep.
It's not much, but as you get better,
you can keep adding more distance.
Now we just need to figure out how often you should train.
--Beep.
Well, every day might be too much of a commitment.
Think about your daily schedule.
Can you set aside time to run every day, seven days a week?
--Beep!
Okay, let's say every other day, starting today.
Each week, we'll bump your distance up by half a kilometer.
By the time June 21st comes around, three kilometers will be a snap.
See?
We've broken up your long-term goal
into a bunch of short-term mini-goals!
Each mini-goal is specific and measurable,
so you know you're making progress.
And the act of marking off each of those calendar days
is like a little reward!
--Beep! Bloorp!
Yup, you should celebrate as you get to each mini-goal.
Rewards keep you motivated.
And sharing them with friends is one of the benefits
of forming a goal group.
Your group can help you avoid temptations.
And working together toward a goal is just more fun.
It’s like your own personal support group.
--Beep?
Yeah, no goal-setting technique is worth it if it's too complicated.
Fortunately, you can find all kinds of handy memory aids online.
One of my favorites is called SMART.
It stands for specific;
measurable; attainable; realistic, or relevant;
and time-bound.
Just use those words to guide your strategy!
So, are you guys ready to stop planning and start running?
--Beep! Bloorp!
All right:
Let's do it!
You guys crushed that run!
--Beep! Bloorp!
Now that you've met your goal, you can go ahead and set a new one.
It’s fun to keep challenging yourself!
How about a 5K race next month?
Or a half-marathon?
Or —
Guys?