Goal Setting

Tomorrow it will be November.  I can't believe it.  It seems to be true - the older you get the faster time seems to go!  I am going to blink and be posting about Christmas.  I don't like it!  (The weird time thing, not Christmas - I love that!)   Anyway, it is time to decide on a new project!!

My long-term purpose for Project Adventure is deeper than just the gratification of 9 self-centered whims.  It is more about re-discovering who I am.  Maybe it's a blog-documented "midlife crisis" !  I don't know, but I am certain of this:  each of us make choices, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not, that lead us in certain directions and eventually to specific destinations.  We also have intention.  Most often, our intentions are NOT to arrive at the destinations our decisions take us to.  (If you want to know more about that, please read Andy Stanley's book "The Principle of the Path".)  I was simply tired of living a life full of good intentions, without being intentional about any of them!  I was exhausted from the mundane, the "tyranny of the urgent".  That might be a book, too; I'm not certain, it was a phrase I first heard years ago in a Sunday school class.  

All that being said, I certainly don't have enough time in my life to try out every interesting thing that comes into my mind.  Perhaps in my empty nest years there will be more, although I've heard it is often not the case.  Either way,  there is a limited amount of recreational time in my life.  In thinking about that I have decided that my November Project will not be related to a specific "fun" experience.  Instead,  I am going to take this time to intentionally evaluated my physical health and fitness.

I am not a big fan of exercise for excercise's sake.  Multiple pregnancies over two decades have taken their toll on my body.  I'm a lot more "padded" than I used to be.  I lack energy.  I do not see a doctor for regular physicals (except my ob/gyn).  I was diagnosed with asthma during/after one pregnancy but have not treated it for at least 10 years (except with my son's emergency inhaler).  I am do not generally "think healthy" in terms of food choices.  (I LOVE to cook, I love good food).    I have not had my vision checked in years.  I simply don't make time for taking care of myself.  It isn't a "fun" thing to do with any extra time I may have.

I have made some effort to loose weight over the years.  I have never been successful.  I mean I have NEVER shed more than a pound or two, even with what I perceived as lots of effort.  While I would like to have success in that area, I do NOT want to be come obsessed with it.  I don't want to turn a quest for health into a vain obsession.    So far, not a problem, lol.  I also don't want to try and do so many things I have to be thinking about them all day long.  This is an almost certain route to failure for me.  So, after this long introduction, here is what I have deciced:

In November I will set goals for each week.  I will attempt to evaluate and make changes/adjustment a little at a time.  I will be honest with myself.  I will NOT try to change everything all at once.

Week 1 Goals:

   ___  Make an appointment for a physical, and check the asthma while I'm there.
             (the appt. will likely not be able to be in November, but I need to MAKE it.)

  ___  Make an appointment for my eyes.

  ___  Keep a food journal.  At week's end honestly evaluate if I am consuming way too many calories.

  ___ Keep a physical activity journal.  At week's end honestly evaluate if I am too sedentary.
        (By the way, the food and activity stuff is easy to track, for free, at MyFitnessPal.com)

  ___ Weigh and Measure myself on day 1.  Put the scale AWAY until Nov. 30.  I'm not going to
          obsess with that.
 
  ___Add a daily multi-vitamin for women to my morning routine.

  ___Add 2 glasses of water to my day.  (I hate plain water.  Going for 8 always makes me stop!)

  ___Workout for at least 30 minutes 3 times in 7 days.

I think that is quite enough for the first week.  You may be thinking, that is not going to cut it.  You have to do way more than that to really make a difference.  Yes, I know.  Long term, I have a lot to change.  The thing is, I don't seem to do well with making a lot of drastic changes at once.  It took me 20 years to get to this place.  I think I can take a year or so to get out of it!  I would rather make baby steps that I can DO, than a list of giant steps that I won't. 

If you know me "in real life" please feel free to encourage me/hold me accountable to the goals I set here.
If you, like me, have not be intentional regarding your physical health, consider setting some goals of your own.  It's always good to have a friend on the journey!

See you next week!

D