Goals come in all shapes and sizes! Goals mean different things to each of us. They can be short term or long term or ongoing. They could be centered around a specific relationship, your habits, health, finances or family... Goals rely on your level of commitment to see it through.
10 years (and what seems like a lifetime ago) I used this platform to write down my feelings and track a personal goal of becoming a runner. It was a therapeutic way to document the process, fuel my love for writing while leaving myself vulnerable as I shared the highs and lows and everything that was thrown at me during that time of my life. I am so glad I recorded my feelings because as silly as it may sound, I randomly look back at some of those entries to use the "Divina in the Past" to inspire the "Divina of the Future".
A couple months ago, I found myself reflecting and reading some of those blog posts I wrote so long ago. And where yes, my life is in a completely different stage, reading my words took me back to The Beginning. The beginning of setting a goal, no matter how far out of reach I thought it was! I also noticed how those words on the screen made me miss writing down the inner dialogue which most times translated into a mix of emotions, memories and stories.
Today my story starts about 6 weeks ago. Summer was coming to a close, and I had the desire to start fresh, just like my kids were doing with going back to school. Since conversations surrounded about them and their goals as they entered 8th and 10th grade, I thought to myself "why shouldn't I be thinking about making some changes I've wanted to do for a while now?"
I guess this is the point where I peel the mask off and become vulnerable. This is where I share that for a while now, looking at myself in the mirror has been difficult at times. I have been more aware of the signs of aging, weight gain, sleep habits, the stress of raising two teenagers and the way I felt in the morning after the bad choices I may have made the night before. 6 weeks ago I was ready to make a change and promised myself that I would head into the new "Back to School Season" with a different mindset. I wanted to go into the September month with a plan, and started to think about just one goal, one change that I could make in my daily life that I would benefit from. I had been thinking about this for a while now and I came to the conclusion that the first goal I tackled would be to change my relationship with alcohol. To put boundaries around it because not only was I using it as a crutch to numb the things I didn't want to experience or accept at times, it also seemed to be involved in my daily activities. A drink at the family dinner table turned into a few on the couch while watching TV, that lead to eating things late night and a headache/exhaustion in the morning. A healthy change was needed, and so I decided to refrain from drinking alcohol for the month and see what other positive things came from this. Even if it was to celebrate the fact that "Sober September" could happen!
I started sharing my feelings with my husband during August. I proposed this goal to my husband, and was excited that he wanted as well wanted to jump on the bandwagon with me. We’ve proven in the past that when we are on the same page about something, the more successful we are at seeing it come to fruition.
September was going to be the first month, the first step, into paving the way for new goals in the coming months.
As I reflect on last month today, October 1, I am filled with momentum to keep going. I’m recognizing that I don’t need alcohol in every social interaction, the dinner table or even at a bar or party at a friends house. I'm in charge of the choices I make and changing my mindset doesn't mean that I'm sacrificing being part of an experience. The past 4 weeks have looked a little different, too. I've seen how projects that have been on our "To-Do list" are getting done on a Sunday during football when the Bills aren't playing, a decrease in late-night eating frenzies, more restful mornings and it doesn't hurt that I'm down some LB's!
So, as I sit here, with that inner voice running wild, I come back to my trusted forum to reflect, write, and hopefully continue to be someone that "Divina of the Future" will get inspired from. Here's to a new beginning. What moves me today? The Goal of having GOALS! As I sit look ahead and plan for October, I’m filled with excitement to see where next month will take me. Will you join me? I challenge YOU to set up one goal for this month -big or small as it is. Who knows what effect(s) it will have on you in a positive way?
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment