Not Afraid To Do, Do

Self portrait of my goal planning.

I like people who say they’ll do something and do it. I love it even more when they say nothing and prove their intentions with actions. To my dismay I recently became aware I had only been talking, a skill noticed early on by my grade school teachers. There’s been a lot of words dribbling out with nothing to back them, and this is not okay with me.  I doubt I’m alone in this struggle. Perhaps, it’s out of fear or simply because we are not ready to handle the kind of commitment our goal requires. Regardless, I was tired of moving my mouth and decided it was time to just do. But first I had to figure out why I had filled conversations with inflated enthusiasm. My best guess is because there wasn't a firm goal. Sure, I had an idea but with no specific target I could get away with not having a plan. I’d use elusive words such as “about” or “soon”, which doesn't attach itself to an obligation.  I was free to chat about a non distinct goal, as if it were one, without the worry about having to actually do it. Sound familiar? To me this sounds like New Year’s resolutions. Vague aspirations we tell ourselves without a path to reach them. You can’t meet an objective this way. My next step was to define my purpose, and armed with new notebooks, I spelled it out, being specific as possible.

Finally, I have a plan! The world rejoiced, bells rang, and the president called to congratulate me. Well, you can’t expect fanfare, but nonetheless I am happy about it. I have a target, I have a timeline, and more importantly, I have determination.  You can’t gloss over that last part, it’s the driving force to the finish line, and without it you can’t get very far. In previous posts I talked about my lack of motivation, which I think will continually be a work in progress. Currently, there’s steam in my engine so naturally I do my favorite thing, which is research. I love going to the library to check out cookbooks and books on healthy living. There are SO many it’s overwhelming, but I choose the ones heard about or go back to my favorites. The human body is fascinating to me and I enjoy reading about its reaction to certain foods. Nerdy? Yes. Insightful and beneficial? Double yes. I also pick up a fitness magazine, or two, to get workout tips. Whatever works, amiright? To add extra incentive to my plan, I included a reward. After I meet my goal I get to buy myself some shiny new workout clothes, because, you know, I don't have any. Does sarcasm come in my size? I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, as I have big plans for next year. BIG. HUGE.MAJOR. Sorry, left my caps button on. I'm working toward the future and it's exciting. Stay tuned.

-Andrea

Dream.Plan. Do.