Setting Goals

I recently ran across an article where the son of Olympic gold medalist Yurik Vardanian, Norik, was interviewed about his relationship with his father and his successful weightlifting career in its own right.  In that article (link below) I was reminded of the necessity and importance of setting goals.  This is from the article:
Your father totaled 400kg at 82.5kg bodyweight, at the 1980 Olympics. He had a higher total than the winner of the 90 and 100kg category. How did he and your family react to such an impressive performance?
My father had been planning to do a 400kg total since 1977 when he won his first Senior World Championship. He kept those numbers in his head and every exercise, every set, and every rep he did was to reach his goal of totaling 400kg. My family all knew about his goal that he had set. I was not alive at this time but I have heard from my relatives about how dedicated my father was. I don’t think my family was very surprised that my father accomplished his goal. I think if he did not accomplish it they would have been more surprised.
I love that last line.  They would have been surprised had he not accomplished his goal.  I have always believed that setting small, short-term goals AND setting large lifetime goals are pivotal constant improvement and refreshing training.  Setting goals like trying to achieve a certain PR on a complex you’re working on in a specific cycle keep training fresh.  Also, setting and always chasing big lifetime goals like snatching a certain weight or achieving a certain total keep you focused and hungry for long periods of time.
Set some big goals.  I set some in high school and I am still chasing them.  I’ve met some of them and reset them accordingly.  Next lifetime goal I want to mark off the list is a 182kg (400lb) Front Squat.  Soon…
It’s also worth re-stating.  Norik emphasizes his dad’s focus on technical perfection… you should too.
Interview with Norik
Also this article is pretty cool.  Good for you Russia.  Good for you.  Moscow Subway