Setting Goals

For all you following my bicycling drama, I am now pedaling at a level two. Sven is pushing me and I just know that Team Radio Shack is gonna love me.

You remember that I had a sports psychology wing added to my house. The level of need in the area of psychology, sports and otherwise, resulted in the wing being a little larger than the largest superstore. One of the teams that has taken up residence is a team with expertise in bi-polar disorder. There are five of them on the team: Bauer, Kilbourne, Greenwald, Ludman, and McBride. I get them confused at times but they are starting to teach me some motivating ideas. If I win the yellow jersey, I'll have to remember them in my acceptance speech. I know Le Tour De France for those people who insist on reality do not allow acceptance speeches, but in my metaphorical tour, acceptance speeches are not only given, they are given in really pretty, long, fancy dresses and televised during prime time. Sort of like the Oscars. Which reminds me, I need to hire a host, for when I win, I mean, [I lower my eyes modestly] in case I win.

My team that I referenced above, wrote a book, in case you are interested and since they can't live with you since they are all living with me. Overcoming Bipolar Disorder: A Comprehensive Workbook for Managing Your Symptoms and Achieving Your Life Goals.

A long introduction to get to today's topic, Goals. When I say just the word GOAL in my mind, I always hear that soccer announcer (football announcer to my international readers) who yelled a very distinct and long sustained g - o - a- l each time the ball went into the net. Today's topic is not that kind of goal.

The team and I were sitting around talking, drinking sports drinks and eating power bars and they said:
"Goals are what make life worth living. These goals are determined by all the things that make us uniquely human -- our personalities, our experience, or inclination, our desires, and the like. Somewhere along the way, we've developed a set of values and priorities by which we live our lives. We might consider that goals are the ends that we strive for (the 'whats' in life), while values are the reasons that we have chosen those goals (the 'whys' in life)."

My first reaction to "goals are what make life worth living" was skepticism. I thought of some of my goals, in particular, bicycling 1000 miles by the end of January in order to earn a spot on a metaphorical bicycling team. (Team Radio Shack is my team of choice, except that George Hincapie is going to be on a different team, one that is being built around him, and I LOVE George Hincapie) In order to chose the team, I am going to see which metaphorical team offers me the best deal and decide based solely on financial and merchandising reasons. I'm telling the world now, if any team offers to produce a Pam Steelhammer Bobble Head Doll, I am IN. No question about it.

So, I'm thinking, riding 1000 miles on a stationary bike is NOT something that makes my life worth living. But when I stayed with that thought a little longer, my mind began to understand what the team had been talking about.

Q: Why did I set a goal to ride 1000 miles?
A: To be a member of a world class metaphorical bicycling team.

Q: Why join a metaphorical team?
A: To ride in and win the metaphorical Tour de France

Q: Why?
A: To work really hard at something that is important to me. To get my life back together. To be able to live my best life. To fulfill my purpose in life. To be of service. To be happy. To love unconditionally. To experience freedom. To feel joy.

As Lance said, it's not about the bike. It's not about the 1000 miles (real, not metaphorical). It's about the things listed under the last "why?".

My goal is making my life worth living.