Goals! We are full of good intention at the start of something, only to have it all fall apart within days. Other people seem able to stay focused on the goal and stick with it. What is that quality that helps one person succeed and achieve their goal and another fail? I wish I knew! I would "bottle" it and sell it. We are all desperate to achieve our goals, but "stuff" gets in the way. Sometimes that stuff is truly outside our ability to control, but a lot of times the "stuff" is in our heads and causes us to be self-defeating.
I'm nearing the end of a 4 week Dietbet and the posts are filled with those who are excited to have achieved their goals AND those who are frustrated and sad that another goal slipped away. I rejoice with those who have won, but I feel the pain of those who didn't make their goal.
At the beginning of the Fight Fat in February with Bruce, he challenged us to pick a word that would describe our attitude for the next four weeks. I chose "determined"! It takes determination and hard work to stick with something. I was determined not only to lose weight, but to establish some regular habits which would help me on the journey. It helped that in the middle of the dietbet, a group of local friends agreed to do the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and hold each other accountable. 15 days in, and only 3 of us are sticking with it. Even if they all bow out, I'm determined to finish the 30 days as I can see and feel the results of adding this workout to my arsenal. I'm drinking my water, going to bed at a regular time, trying to be careful to eat foods that are not processed (yes, they cost more, but I figure it's cheaper than doctors' bills and medications that I might otherwise be spending if I don't take care of my body and health), and trying to get 10000 steps in a day. Finally, I made the goal to look for all the ways I'm blessed each day and to be thankful to God for them. I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of 2015 and write in it each day a couple gifts that I see God has given me. Some of the people in my Dietbet are in my journal because of their encouragement to me in my comments, posts, and blogs.
For those who are discouraged, start today afresh; keep it simple; move more; eat less junk; find a local friend to walk/work-out with; write it down (ok, that one's still hard for me); turn off the TV and take a walk (yes, in the snow, if necessary) When I have future days of discouragement, I'm going to look up this blog post, read it and get myself back on track.
I have a long way to go to meet my ultimate goal and that's to keep losing weight, to get my heart and muscles strong. (Plus I have the daughter's wedding later this year to try to look my best that keeps me determined.) But I have come a long way already; my body is stronger and I am lighter. So I celebrate the small goals made and kept along the way, while not letting the goals made and not fulfilled get me down.