I
love living in the city, specifically in Capitol Hill. The historical streets are buzzing with life
at all hours of the day. From morning
dog-walkers to mid-day, lunch break calorie burners to late night partiers,
there is plenty of people watching to do, and that is a very easy activity from
my second story street facing window.
The buildings that line the streets where I live have been around for
ages. This lends well to an almost
old-world feel of my neighborhood. It
often makes me wonder who lived here before I did and what they saw from this
same window, what inspiration hit them from those sights, and did the building’s
elevator ever really work? You take the
good with the bad (or the perceptions of those ideas at least) when you live
where I choose to live. Personally,
location and atmosphere trump dishwashers and working elevators every day of
the week.
Pulling
into my recently procured alley parking space directly behind my building, I do
a quick mental prep (what I like to refer to as a “here we go”), before
tackling the seemingly weekly task of getting my newly purchased groceries to
the second floor. I know that I am not
alone in this, so I will take the liberty of speaking for the masses. It is my goal and a point of pride to get my
groceries from my car, through a set of doors, up two flights of stairs and
into my kitchen in one trip. As silly as
it may sound, taking a second or (gasp) a third trip is not only an annoyance
but ultimately a personal disappointment.
You see, when I’ve my mind set on something, accomplishing it is my only
option. From the monumental to the
mundane, if I don’t do what I set out to do, it will have an effect on me. What I choose to do with that effect has the
ability to determine and define my outlook moving forward.
As I
mentioned, identifying accomplishments is a part of my make-up, it is integral
to who I am. I find myself setting
targets and taking aim in my personal and professional life on a daily basis. I strive to improve in many aspects of my
life each morning that I wake. The
levels of these improvements vary greatly, but small victories are victories
just the same. I have been fortunate
enough to have the ability to carry this mindset with me each and every time I
step into the hallowed walls of my gym.
From completing one more push-up today than I did yesterday to constant
movement for the full set of high-knees to actually getting my toes to the bar
this time, every time I push my limits I am improving. I am truly being the best me.
Times
get tough, no matter who you are or where you are at in your life. The great thing about having free will is we
get to choose, as individuals, how we let the things around us affect us. If it gets difficult, do we quit or do we dig
in and push on through? When our mind
tells us that it can’t possibly do another squat thrust, do we listen or do we
trust that our body would quit if it truly was done? When our goals seem out of reach, do we amend
our plan or do we instead pull out a ladder and grab onto what we wanted all
along?
We
are stronger today than we were yesterday, and we will be stronger tomorrow
than we are right now. For that
statement to continue to ring true, setting and accomplishing goals everyday is
a necessity. Taking the time to enjoy
accomplishments, regardless of their size, will give you daily affirmation that
you are on your right path. Here’s to
small victories! Elevators? Who needs them?
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