Goals versus Resolutions

With the new year rapidly approaching I am contemplating goals and resolutions - What do I do with goals and resolutions? Should I make them, not make them, what do they have to do with my motivation and desire to lose weight and become healthy? Lot of questions bumping around in my head.
So as I contemplate this I decide to look a bit deeper.

A goal is defined as: The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.

A resolution is defined as: A course of action determined or decided on.

So in my mind their is a difference between the two. A goal is focused on the end result. A resolution is focused on the process. I think this is a very important fundamental difference. I think far too often with my weight loss efforts I have focused on the process to get there and only minimally on the end result.

Let's face it how many of us when we decide to focus on losing weight OBSESS about what we are eating, what we WILL be eating and what we DID eat. We focus so much on the food. Or we obsess with exercise. How much did we do, when will we do it again, etc.  Now to be sure, we do need to focus and purpose through planning what we are eating, portions, getting that cardio workout in. These are important things to think about and plan, but I know I am far more likely to OBSESS about this process and not the end result. And for me....so hasn't gotten me to that end result yet.

Part of the reason why it is hard to focus on the end result is that it isn't an immediate endeavor. We're talking months or even years.  I think having to lose 80+ pounds is just too far down the road to focus on. But I do think it is important to have the end result in mind. Even in the Bible it encourages this in 1 Corinthians 9 -  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  So I definitely think focusing on the end result and not on the process is the way to go.

But to that end, I think I need to focus on smaller goals along the way. I think for me...it will be 20 pound increments. Every 20 pounds is about a pants size. So that should be about right for where I want my end result to be!

So my first goal is 208 by before our spring break trip to the beach.

This is probably why resolutions by and large are broken. Focusing on the process doesn't work. We must focus on the end prize - Health, wellness and a size 10!!!!!