Pushing through it...

WOW!  I'm so sorry that I haven't blogged in awhile.  Last week I was sick with a summer cold and this week had been crazy at work so far.  Always some excuse, right? 

Well, needless to say, this week hasn't been a good week for sticking to goals for me.  I will have you know that even though I was sick and not focused on eating right, I did see my SMART goal post-its everywhere!  It kept my goals in my mind the whole time so I remembered exactly what I wanted to get accomplished. 

Work has always been a hard thing for me to plan my time around......there are days when all I want to do at the end is sit down and "veg" out b/c it has been such a crazy day!  I'm sure that everyone has similar things that make them exhausted besides their jobs (namely children or other commitments). 

The thing is ... we HAVE to stay on task no matter how hard it is....it's worth it and we owe it to ourselves!  Part of loving yourself is taking care of yourself - therefore, it needs to be a priority!  So here's to pushing past the struggles and excuses!  For this week alone, I will focus on what I need to do and will worry about next week when it comes.

"Never give the devil a ride, he will want to take over the driving"  --Anonymous
......so very true, no room for him in my car....

~ SMART Goals ~

So today I was reading some articles on setting attainable goals and how they relate to weight loss.  Now, all this "research" stems from the new show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition that I watched on NBC Monday night.  The trainer (Chris Powell), who is undeniably easy on the eyes, has such a knack of working with the morbidly obese with care, compassion, and motivation.  He doesn’t let them give up on themselves and helps them every step of the way – even moving in with them for 3 months to get them started building new habits in their own environment.  *Man wouldn’t that be nice!!*

You have to set goals in order to know where you are going.  Many people set goals every day without even realizing it.  Some set themselves up for failure at the start of their goal but not setting a SMART one….

So, to set a smart goal, it must be:

SPECIFIC –  You must state exactly what your goal is and be as specific as possible.  Use the word "will" instead of "want".

MEASURABLE – Your goal must be measurable and quantifiable.  So basically, you have to be able to see or prove that you accomplished it.

ATTAINABLE  – You must be able to achieve this goal within your daily time and financial constraints. Even if it starts out small, it’s better than what you are currently doing and it will eventually grow.

REALISTIC  – Keep your goals realistic!  Don’t expect more than you are willing to commit to this process.

TIME SENSITIVE  - Give yourself a specific time and date of when you will reach your goal.



NOTE:  Now take the paper with your SMART goal and hang it where you will see it every day – the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, desktop … maybe even all three of these places.

KEEP THE COMMITMENT IN FRONT OF YOU!

 …..This really opened my eyes for some reason.  Sure, I’ve set goals in the past but never once did I post that goal in front of me so that I can see it daily and be reminded of what I’m working for.  I always tucked it away so that no one else could see it (in case I failed).

So, I did this as soon as I could tonight.  I literally have post-its all over the place!  Now, I’m challenging you to do the same…..make your goal known and post it so you won’t forget what you are working towards!

"People often say that motivation doesn’t last.  Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar
……bring on the daily reminders….