I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions. Part of me thinks they are stupid. Do people even keep their resolutions? I feel like most people get to February and then they are over it. I’m sure you all have seen it – maybe it’s even been you at times.
I told some of my friends last week that I was going to just not go to the gym the whole month of January, because it would be packed every hour with people showing up just to “check in” on their various social media platforms.
My goals for 2019 have been on my mind for weeks. As a mom, I often tell myself that there’s no point in making goals or dreams because my life isn’t just about me anymore-it’s about eight little eyes watching everything I do. However, I think my kids also need to see me work for things. They need to see me set a goal to complete something and do it. They need to see me struggle to accomplish things, rather than just quitting when it gets hard. They need to see me have passion for things. They need to see me fail, and then they need to see me get back up and try again; because NOTHING good comes easy.
Girl Wash Your Face was the #1 New York Times Best Seller this year (2018). I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone who hasn’t read it, but she walks you through how to stop believing lies about yourself and how to become who you are meant to be. Guys, this book literally changed my life. This wasn’t just another self-help book. I saw a woman who started from the bottom, and made something of herself while still being a mom and wife.
Why do I give up on my goals and dreams? Sure, maybe there was a small part of me that knows my life isn’t just about me anymore but I think I used that excuse as a cop out because I didn’t want to deal with the truth. The truth is, as my BFF Rach says, “Another reason people give up on their dreams? It’s difficult and/or it’s taking too long. Goals and dreams are hard… You think this is hard? That’s because it is. So what? Nobody said it would be easy”.
I started going to the gym every day back in August. It was hard. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was sore. I was tired. I hurt muscles I didn’t even know I had. I wanted to quit SO many times. Going to the gym is a “hard thing” that sometimes I have to force myself to do, because I know it what’s best for me. You see before August, I knew I was overweight but I CONSTANTLY made excuses as to why I couldn’t get to the gym, why it was too hard to change what I was eating, how “I had 4 babies in 4 years and it just happens”. Then I read this: “Sister you are stronger than this. You’ve got babies to raise and bills to pay and a life to live-and you can’t do that if you are hiding under the covers” and it hit me like a sack of bricks. If I wanted my life to be different, I had to do something different. I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing and expect this magical change to happen without me making changes.
We all have the same 24 hours in the day, how could I possible fit one more thing in? Well some mornings I had to fit it in at 5:15 am. But the thing is, if we want something to be different we are either going to find a way or find an excuse. I was tired of finding excuses. I was tired of looking at pictures and seeing how fat I looked. I NEED to be able to keep up with my kids. I realize not everyone has the same goals; not everyone needs to lose 75 lbs.
5 months into this routine that I have created and I have learned a lot about myself. One of the reasons I stopped setting goals was because I was frustrated with the process. I hate the fact that I set a goal but it takes me longer than I expected to reach it. But here’s the thing, our goals don’t have to have time limits. “Big dreams shouldn’t have expiration dates.” So you know what? I am going to set big goals. I may not crush them in a month, heck it may not even be a year, but that’s ok.
So for 2019 I set some big goals for myself:
- To stop comparing my kids. These are the kids God has given me, and he didn’t make me their mother by accident.
- To be fully present with my kids; when they are home and awake I want us to enjoy each other and have fun with each other- not just all co-habitate together.
- To promote to Director in my business- trusting that I am fully capable of doing it!
- To meet Rachel Hollis. Don’t laugh. It’s going on my vision board!
And finally…for the big, audacious, can’t believe I am typing this, super scary one…
- Run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.
While I haven’t officially registered for it yet, it’s on my list to do this week. I bought a pair of Brooks on Monday and am anxiously awaiting to run in them tomorrow.
What are you big audacious goals? Write them down! Plaster them everywhere! Crush them!
“You need to prove to yourself that you can do it. You need to prove to yourself that you are capable of anything you set your mind to. “
