To the Finish…and beyond!

Setting a goal or deadline is very important. It holds you accountable for whatever the situation may be and helps you stay on the right path. However, setting one that is unrealistic will set you up for failure. If you want to get on the “I want to lose 50 pounds by the end of the month” ride, then get in the “Lettuce and Ice Cubes Diet” line. Perhaps you’d rather take a one-way trip to the city of “I’m going to be a size 2 in 5 weeks”. Wonderful! I’ll give you a complimentary “But aren’t you’re a size 12 today” pass as you board your means of transportation. Best of luck!

We’re all friends, right? Well, here is a dose of tough love: Those goals above aren’t obtainable or realistic! First, if you set up a goal to (insert here), make sure it is obtainable. It should be set far enough in advanced so that you can achieve it! Second, have a P.I.A. (Plan In Action) for when you obtain your goal. Trust me, the P.I.A is uber important. You wouldn’t run a marathon, cross the finish line and immediately sit down? If so, make sure you’re near paramedics!

What do I know about a P.I.A? Well, I’m glad you asked. In 2006, my then boyfriend, now husband, went to Iraq to serve his second tour with the Air Force. When he left, I planned to be at a specific weight/size by the time he returned. I hired a trainer. I gave up processed junk food. I worked out very hard and ultimately reached my goal. He came home and couldn’t believe my success. I admit that I never felt so healthy and so proud of myself in my entire life. I put in hours and hours of work and I got results. If I had a chart, I would’ve had gold stickers everywhere. Well, he came home and we got engaged. Halleluiah! I could call my grandmother and say “You were wrong about telling me I’d be a spinster!!!” (True story by the way.) I had him and I was so happy. Apparently, I was so happy that I quit working out and quit paying attention to what I was eating. Why continue? I got to my destination so I was hopping off this crazy train! Cut to a month or so later, I had crying fits in my closet. No joke! I turned into a 15 year old that had “nothing to wear”. I swear, I was one phone call away from asking my mom to take me to the mall after band practice. It was only a matter of time before I was wearing clothes from the back of the closet that were once too big.

I didn’t have a P.I.A. and I was right back where I started. All that hard work down the drain only to end up back at square one. Now, I have a simple goal and a simple P.I.A. I have a goal and a date. It’s circled in my calendar in the picture. I also have a P.I.A. and another goal to add to it. Hey if you believe – you can achieve.

So, what’s your goal? It can be something small. It doesn’t have to be big. Maybe you want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs and not be winded. It might sound odd to you, but to some people it’s a task! Shoot, maybe you have an upcoming event where you want to fit into that special dress or outfit. That’s perfect. Whatever your goal is, do your best! Give your all! Just remember to have a P.I.A. Surely you wouldn’t work so hard only to do what I did. So, I challenge you to this: Make a P.I.A. now. Make it obtainable and do everything you possibly can to succeed and maintain that goal.

Failure is blindness to the strategic element in events; success is readiness for instant action when the opportune moment arrives.- Newell D. Hillis