I have been trying to think about this year and what I want to accomplish for me. I have goals that have been set in place that I will be reaching this year. My schooling I will finish this year with a Bachelors in May. I will also be running my first half marathon this year also in May. I didn't intend for these two huge goals to occur in the same month but somehow it worked that way. To me these are two of the biggest goals I could accomplish. I have been working on them for a while but I am getting close to the finish line and need to have some ambition to finish them.
With School I have been going non stop for the past couple of years. I am down to two classes and it seems a bit odd now that I am this close to graduating. I have begun wondering what I do with my degree once I get it. I could stay with my company which is a pretty good company to work for. I could also look at other options including moving with my company, joining another company or even moving away with another company. I learned long ago that company loyalty does not count for much when up against the bottom line at least in the corporate world. I just think whatever I decide I need to be happy with my job because if I am happy with my job than it is less like work.
The Ogden Half Marathon is creeping up and I need to get myself prepared for this. For me this means more time running and less excuses. I am sure I could walk/run it now but I am not sure I would feel so great for a long time afterwards. I need to work on my commitment level so that I can reach this goal. This one to me is the scariest of my goals this year.
I have additionally tacked one goal on which is to lose the rest of the weight that I need. Because I am running the Half Marathon I think this goal goes hand in hand with that goal. I don't want to run 13.1 miles with this extra amount of weight.
To reach these goals and more I have come up with some thinking and some do's as well as some don'ts.
1. Think before I put things in my mouth. I need to think long and hard about if I want that treat bad enough to work it off later.
2. Think about drinking more water. I drink water mostly but not enough of it. I need to think and drink more water.
3. Think about things before I say them. As a person I may feel anger or other things but I need to think about how it will make the other person feel before I say them. I think we can all use to remember that when you say something it is out there and no matter what we do we can't take it back. Apologizing wont remove that awful thing you said.
4. Do think about and do random acts of kindness and even random comments of kindness. You never know what a nice word to a stranger or a friend will do.
5. Think about taking more time for me to run and don't feel guilty about doing it.
6. Do tell my family and friends more often that I love them. There is a saying out there that says no one is promised tomorrow. It is true and if your tomorrow doesn't come or a loved one don't I want them to know how I felt about them.
7. Do forgive myself for my imperfections and move on working on becoming better. I tend to mess up and dwell on it for a while. I need to move on.
8. Do have fun in my runs. I started running to get some time alone to my thoughts. I find that when I concentrate on my mind piece I enjoy my running much more.
9. Do think that I am invincible even thought I know I am not. My mind and your mind are powerful tools and can make you do amazing things if you tear down the barriers in your Mind.
10. Do enjoy each success no matter how small or large. Enjoying my success in a positive way is key for me. I don't want to lose weight to go and have an entire cake.
11. Do move forward each day even if it is just a little bit. Baby steps in the right direction are just as important and giant leaps.
12. Do ask myself each day what I am doing today to reach those goals that I have set for myself.
13. Say something nice to myself each night. I take this from my friend Patsy and it is a great idea. We are always harder on ourselves than anyone. Before I go to bed I need to say something nice to myself to counteract all the bad stuff I have probably said or thought.
I am closing this with a thought that I found last year. I keep it in my wallet and look at it often. I think sometimes I need to read it every morning so I don't get discouraged and keep focused. I am not sure who put it out there but it says:
" It will hurt. It will take time. It will require dedication. It will require willpower. You will need to make healthy decisions. It requires sacrifice. You will need to push your body to its max. There will be temptation. But, I promise you, when you reach your goal, its WORTH IT."- Unknown.
