When Goals Aren’t Good Enough: Big Toe Theatrics: And Mr. Poopybutthole Speaks

This is huge if you’ve accomplished a goal, immediately felt let down, then wandered like Cain after killing his brother.

I’ve seen goal-setting go wrong too many times to count.

Innocently enough, it begins: lose twenty pounds of fat, gain twenty pounds of muscle, stack twenty additional pounds on the barbell (is every goal about pounds?).

Then the unthinkable happens — goal achieved.

What should be a memorable exclamation point to a well-crafted journey becomes a Stephen King ending that falls short of expectations.

Sure, it’s fun for a minute, but then the “what next” reality sets in, and, for many, that’s where the journey ends. Before long, all those precious pounds go back on the butt or the rack, or wherever they did or didn’t come from.

This struck me recently when an athlete was chatting about a book she’s struggling to get through.