It Is Wonderful To Achieve A Goal!

I have got to tell you that it is wonderful to achieve a goal! There is nothing quite like setting a goal, planning for it, taking daily steps and them one day WHAM-OO you accomplish the task. That happened to me today.
Back in September 08 I read that ‘normal’ people can work up to 100 push ups a day. I laughed and thought no way. There is no way that I – in the shape I was in – could work myself up to 100 push ups a day. That was reserved for skinny, exercise fanatics with rippling bodies. That was reserved for soldiers and Marines. That goal was definitely not for a middle aged, full figured, feisty female.
…”Yet” I thought “Why not?”
I tell people that if they have a goal, write a plan and work the plan then they can achieve results. You will have obstacles and you will face challenges, however, if you stay true to the plan you will achieve.
Now, I was ready to challenge myself, to practice what I preach, that was until I got down, put my palms flat on the floor and began to push up. I was pushing but nothing was going up. Evidently I needed to really start from scratch. I got on my knees and did very modified three push ups. Well, I called them push ups. I went down, a bit, and went up, a bit, sort of. Give me a break, it was day one.
On the website one hundred push ups I read and learned about push ups. I decided it didn’t matter how long it took. I was going to do 100 push ups in a day.
I went from those first 3 knee push ups to 60 military push ups pretty quickly… then the holidays took over, my arm was sore, I had several “I don’t wanna do it” days in a row and my motivation began to wane.
I truly believe that there are five areas of our lives that we can work on to reach our potential. The areas are physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and fiscal. I think of these areas as graphs in our lives. Some areas are stronger than others. It is our job to strengthen them all. Our job is to build our capacity to reach our highest levels in each area – no matter where we are today. By the way, this is an ongoing project, just when you think you have reached your highest level another level is revealed. If this is not happening to you there is a strong possibility that you are not living to your highest potential.
Physical: I admit that this is one of my weakest areas. I have a strong heart, low cholesterol, good blood pressure and now I can say I am strong. However other parts of my body….well let’s just say that some of today’s movie stars and I couldn’t share clothes. Does that mean that I stop striving to take care of me… no. It just means that I will continue to build my confidence in physical self. One push up at a time.
Emotional: I am strong here now, however if you asked family members when I was younger (and even several years ago) that was not the case. It has taken dedication, perseverance, soul searching, challenging myself and appreciating who I’ve become to be able to say that everyone can be strong, feisty, fearless, fun, focused and courageous. Follow the path and you will achieve.
Spiritual: What you think is what you get. Your faith, your belief and your actions are all interrelated. It is important to take the time during your day to just be. Are you listening to what you are creating with your thoughts? Your thoughts connect you to your Higher Power, God, Universe or energy. Taking the time to really focus on what you are thinking. It is so powerful, motivating, and inspiring that without that quiet time you lose perspective about who you are, what your life is about and why you do what you do.
Intellectual: We are lucky that we aren’t the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, we don’t have to wish for a brain…we already have one. Our brains need nourishment. If we don’t provide information, new ideas, new intellectual challenges our brains lose their potential. Read books, watch documentaries, push yourself to learn the other side of an argument and listen to counter perspective. Grow your brain so that you grow.
Fiscal: Money management, financial literacy, prosperity thinking and abundance are all key ingredients to a healthy and full life. Too often people have covered their heads in the sand because of lack of knowledge. I’ve learned that there are always people who can teach you what you don’t know. It is so liberating.
I personally found such freedom learning about profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cost analysis, cash flow analysis, tax implications and balancing a budget. There is so much I am looking forward to learning about financial success. It is freeing and so exhilarating. Take the time to learn so you can be free.
And the rest of the story….
So there I was with the “don’t wanna” swirling around me. Luckily I came out of that dizzy spell and recommitted to my goal. Today I get to shout, cheer and receive the applause because I did it… I did 100 push ups.
How about you? What’s your goal? What are you working toward? When are you going to get out of the dizzy “Don’t wanna” game? Join me and be joyous… shouting from the roof tops… I did it!