–Bob Marley
Numbers never end. No, I’m not just talking about math. But, if that’s your thing, that’s cool too. Right now though, I’m talking about your goals.
The other day I stepped on the scale and I lost (wait for it) 3 ounces!!! Sounds less than celebration worthy, doesn’t it? But here’s the thing. That number DOES NOT matter. Not really. And tomorrow when I step on the scale, chances are it’s going to be exactly the same. Or, maybe I’ve even found those 3 ounces again. And that’s okay. It has to be okay, because that number will never change who I am.
Don’t get me wrong. Goals that are related to weight are great goals. Sometimes they’re necessary as they directly relate to our health. Just like goals that are related to personal or professional wealth are great. Same with those goals related to the weight on the barbell or the time on the race clock. But what is more important is the why.
At the end of the day. If you didn’t lose those 10 pounds. Or, your race time wasn’t as fast as you wished. Or, you haven’t reached that monetary benchmark yet. It’s okay. Sometimes it takes us more than one attempt to get there. We often have to change our patterns or update our plan. Or. There are even times where we need to accept that our goals have changed.
This doesn’t mean don’t work hard to reach your goals. And it certainly doesn’t mean to quit when it gets hard. What it does mean though is that life happens. Maybe when you planned to have your car paid off this year, you didn’t plan on traveling for your best friend’s beautiful wedding. Or, maybe when you set that goal to set a PR on your marathon, you didn’t account for the promotion at work that affected your training time. And still yet, maybe you set that goal to get down to your dream weight, but your kids wanted to start a new ice cream Friday tradition with you. And who would choose to skip out on an ice cream Friday tradition with the kiddos?!
Sometimes I look at the scale, or my bank account, and think I’m way off course. And believe me. That thinking can spiral out of control real fast. But then I get to smile because the money I spent was on traveling, and fun events with friends. And the calories I spent were on making memories with loved ones. That’s what matters at the end of the day right? The memories we make and the people we make them with?
So how do we do this? How do we both love our lives and reach our goals? How do we both set attainable goals, and accept graciously the times we miss the mark? By being understanding with ourselves and our loved ones. And by employing flexibility in our course.
“When the plan doesn’t work,
adjust the plan.”
Don’t just set goals that sounds good, or that your friends will be impressed by. Instead, set goals that are true to what you want. And figure out why. Why do you want to lift more weight? Why do you want that fancy race car? Why is that weight your dream weight? Because without your why, achieving the goal is just a check mark on your to do list.
And then, when you have that real goal that is meaningful to you, break it down. We need digestible steps to get there. The BIG goal is what we’re working toward. But, to get there we need to reach little goals. And maybe adjust our process in meantime. Set attainable goals, each with a realistic time limit. But keep your life and your happiness in mind. If it’s a physical goal, remember to include rest days and treat meals. If it’s monetary, then remember that unforeseeable events are bound to happen. And, remember, even if everything goes according to plan, you may still have to adjust the process.
They say there’s no straight line to success for a reason.
Leave a comment. Let me know your next goal, and more importantly, your why!
