Let’s talk about goals!
Goals…resolutions…ideas of grandeur…all good stuff!
Whether you are years deep into your health and fitness journey or you happened to just start 17 days ago, we all have goals.
I know and you know that there are good ways to go about making goals. You’ve heard them a thousand times: be specific, make them measurable, make them realistic, have smaller goals inside larger goals, yada yada yada.
I think the hard thing, is dealing with stumbles on your way to accomplishing these goals.
We all stumble, we all stub our toes. When it comes to tripping up on the way to accomplishing a goal, it’s how you react that makes all the difference. I want you to remember one thing: YOU HAVE NOT FAILED.
Did you make a goal to workout 4 times a week, and you only could fit in 3 workouts this week? YOU DID NOT FAIL. Look at what you did! You worked out 3 times! That’s amazing! Next week, work out 4 times, like you planned.
Don’t throw in the towel. And please, please don’t call it “starting over.”
Starting over indicates you failed. Instead, MOVE FORWARD.
Did you make a goal to only have dessert 2 days a week, yet you just ate three chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven and you already had your 2 dessert days? YOU DID NOT FAIL. You DON’T need to START OVER. You need to MOVE FORWARD. There’s no sense in beating yourself up! Did you enjoy the cookies? Were they warm, sweet and utterly satisfying? I bet they were! That’s awesome! Move on to your next, healthy meal and keep looking forward.
If you say you have to “start over” then you get in the habit of punishing yourself and throwing in the towel. That’s silly. You’re striving for a healthier, more balanced life so you can live a happier, fuller life and if you start that by beating yourself up and pointing out all of your shortcomings, that doesn’t sound like you’re living a happier life.
Just think about it. Would you tell your own child that because they got one math problem wrong, they should bomb the rest of the test? Or not do any of their homework until tomorrow? Didn’t think so.
So I want you to stay motivated. Re-evaluate your goals every 4-6 weeks. Are they working for you? Are they realistic? Do you still enjoy working towards them (I know working out isn’t always rainbows and glitter but I bet you feel proud after its over)? If you need to, re-work your goals. Or if you’ve accomplished your goals (yay!), make another one and keep going.
You’re taking 2014 by storm! I’ll be your cheering section! Yayyyy you!!!
love this Melissa! such a positive message about moving forward and not always beating ourselves up for not being “perfect” – great post to end the week!
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes recently posted…Easy Thai Chicken Stir Fry
Being positive is so important..especially for health! Great reminders!
Omg, I LOVE YOU!! You said this just started flowing and I can totally FEEL that! I agree with you 100%…I’d even go so far as to say 110% if I was that kind of overly excited moron who doesn’t understand elementary mathematics 😉 But seriously, the part about not saying you need to “start over” is so true! Whenever you make BIG changes in your life, it’s going to take time for the habit of them to sink in and you have to be patient. Slow and steady wins the race! <- As corny as that little statement is, it's something we should remind ourselves of every day…plus, hey, it makes you think of bunnies and cute little turtles! 😉
Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli recently posted…Peanut Butter Pumpkin Banana Wrap
Oh girl, you are so right. We often stumble and think we can get up. But it’s so not true. When we stumble we need more strength to move forward MoveOn and get going. Right?