Weekly countdowns...help or hurt?

I did that this year for Ironman Wisconsin. I had the countdown start from the time I started training until the event. I had the days to go in my BT blog. A lot of my friends made fun of me because I could tell them exactly how many days until the event was but I didn't care. I think it kind of kept me focused and aware on my journey to doing and completing my first Ironman.

I have 348 days to go...

i think it can both help and hurt - it just depends on the person...

for me, if I start counting down too far out, then i'm like...ohhh, I have plenty of time and can come up with excuses for stuff...but a shorter time frame (about 3 months) works well for me...

for others, they can do a years count-down and not get distracted

I find them helpful in keeping my eye on what needs done. I am doing IMCHOO and have a countdown for that already going (369 days). I have consistency issues at time so I also have smaller goals in between now and then for which I also have countdowns. And really, as a stay at home mom to 4 young kids, my life easily gets monotonous so countdowns help me see the bigger picture sometimes as opposed to just the breakfast dishes that still need put away, the laundry that needs done, the dentist appts. we need to get to, etc.

For me, if the event that I'm counting down to is too far away, I find that I just push it out of my mind and won't focus on it.  I need to almost make short and long-term count downs along the way to keep up with goals, and not lose interest. 

This is what I don't want to happen.

It may be a great tool to teach the kids about long term goal setting though, that would be worth it.

My last four years have each had a 20 week countdown to my A race mainly because I've used 20 week plans to prepare.  I do other prep before that but it's usually for another purpose like a running race.  I generally don't like looking out further than that if I don't have too. 

Is this really a thread?

I have on my white board at my desk my 2014 races listed. Once I register I put a daily countdown.

If I put an event-related countdown on the board, my colleagues and boss would probably commit a mercy killing or do some kind of intervention. I just don't think my students need/want to be that involved--I do teach somewhat younger kids, though. What they really like to see are ugly race pics, and podium hardware, after an event!

I don't count down, unless you count kinda sorta following a plan that starts X weeks out from a race. I just try to do the best I can every day, with training and other things. The race is always there in the back of my mind, and I've learned from experience that racing unprepared really sucks, especially long races (ref. first marathon!). That's enough for me. Everyone's motivation works differently, I guess.