Baby Steps...

"Once you decide, you'll figure out HOW. Until then, you're still working on IF." -Someone AWESOME...I wish I could remember the name to give due credit...


Like a lot of people, I love making resolutions. New year resolutions, birthday resolutions, Monday resolutions, morning resolutions...I'm "resolving" to do something ALL the time. Problem is, my follow through rarely matches the enthusiasm of my beginnings. If I fall off a little bit, I get all discouraged and want to quit, waiting to start over until the next, dramatic opportunity to start fresh comes around. Well...that's how I acted when I was a kid (last week, lol), but now that I'm all grown up ;), I'm determined to change this trend.

So you have some context, my three main resolutions for the first quarter of 2009 are that I am going to 1) abstain from eating and web surfing after 11:00 p.m. (when you see the time I posted this blog, you'll know how well that one is going, lol), 2) proactively improve my health with daily flossing and vigorous exercise, and 3) learn how to swim. The good thing about these resolutions is that they work together, so if I'm successful with one, I should be able to do all three. Here's how it should all work: I'm off the internet by 11, floss my teeth so I don't want to eat, go to bed by 11:30 since I've vetoed late night distractions, which makes it easy to get up in the morning, to go swim at the gym...see? In theory, my plan is perfect!)

When it comes to setting goals, I've learned that clear definitions and timelines make it easier to stay on track. In previous years, I might have said "I'm going to stop eating 'late'", without giving "late" an operational definition, therefore giving myself an easy out to do whatever I want. This year, I know that if it is 11:15, and I'm stuffing my face, then my actions are clearly out of alignment with my objectives. Also, the idea of a year-long resolution leaves the door of procrastination WIDE open. I know that I only have three months, so there is NO time to waste.

2009 is my year. My resolutions are not optional, and I have decided that they WILL work! When I fall off the wagon, like tonight (it's 3:54 a.m., and my computer should have been off hours ago, but peer pressure is a bee-hotch, and my only follower kind of insisted that I post something new), I get right back on. Baby steps are ok. Changing sleeping habits from going to bed at 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. just won't happen overnight, no matter how strongly I try to will it to be so. It's ok if I go to bed at 4 a.m. for a week or so, then 2, then midnight, etc. I'm taking baby steps, and that's ok, as long as I can see myself consistently inching closer and closer to my goals...