Thursday, June 17, 2010

9 days down...78 to go - so, how's it going??

I've definitely learned a lot about myself and my goals over the last 9 days. I can't believe it's been 9 days already...this summer is flying by. Only 78 days to go. Can I make it?!??!?!

What I've learned

I've learned that life takes work. ... I know...DUH! But my goodness, it takes A LOT of work. It was work to write all that stuff down; it was work to transfer it to a calendar so I can keep track of it (I'm seriously being OCD about this, but I think it helps); it was more work than I expected to talk to Adam about my goals and figure out how they fit in with his and ultimately OUR goals; it is work remembering to bring my lunch, drink water, not buy rolos, go for a walk, and work on my resume...and those are just the things that apply to my summer goals! All of that does not include grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, work, church, social activities, family, friends, and every other part of LIFE!
My very intelligent and wonderful friend, Jenny, posted a great quote by Winston Churchill. "Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is key to unlocking our potential." And let me tell you (which I'm sure you already know), life takes continuous effort. Life takes work.

I've learned that life takes time. ... I know...another DUH! All that stuff I listed above...all the WORK...well, it all takes time...and often more time than expected. Thankfully, it doesn't take me that long to eat breakfast (I can drink a shake on my way to work or eat a bowl of cereal in about 5 minutes), and I can chug my water, which is usually lukewarm from sitting in the bottle for a majority of the day, in a few minutes too. I cannot, however, have a conversation with Adam about goals and direction in less than 2 hours. I know that has nothing to do with him (he'd be content if the conversation lasted 2 seconds...Adam - "Good idea. Keep it up."), but I need to think and talk it through; I need to circle around and reiterate several times; I need to get others involved (often meaning I have variations of the same conversation multiple times). A "conversation" about goals and direction has been known to take SEVERAL hours spanning several days.
Oh, and then there's work (and stressing about work), church, time with family and friends (phone calls to SC included), time to complete my goals and record the progress, sleep/rest, etc., which leads to my next point...

I've learned that I can't do everything. ... I'm so full of wisdom today; it's incredible! :-) But seriously...I can't be the only one who feels the pressure to at least attempt it; attempt perfection; attempt the supernatural. You didn't know I had superpowers?!!?!
In a feeble attempt to encourage a busy, slightly stressed friend, I said, "Don't worry, it will all get done." Her response was, "No, it won't, but I need to be ok with that."
Wow. Ouch. Stab and twist.
But HOW TRUE. There are times when it won't all get done. Am I ok with that??! I CAN'T do everything. So how do I deal with that. Well...

I've learned that I need direction. I won't reiterate all the conversations we (Jeremy, Karen, Adam, and I; just Adam and I; Bekah and I; Jenny and I, Julie and I,
Jon and I, etc.) have had over the last 9 days, but there have been several primarily focused on direction. WHERE ARE WE GOING and HOW ARE WE GETTING THERE?? We only get one shot at this life, that is like a vapor, and we are called to REDEEM the time. So, what are we doing about it?!
Thankfully, I'm the type of person that gets more done when I have more to do. So I/we have been figuring out what needs to be done, and we're doing it. I've also been identifying what may not need to get done and leaving it until another time (while attempting not to stress about not getting it done). I think having goals has helped. I think talking about those goals and having accountability to accomplish them has helped (significantly). And, as our direction becomes more clear, those goals will grow and change, and that's ok. We'll keep working; we'll keep doing...as long as there is time.


So...my personal, short-term goals (that I would really like to accomplish in the next 78 days) are going ok. Week 1 was a little rough in the middle (I have "BAD" written across 3 days on the calendar), but I'm getting back on track. I've been drinking my water, bringing my lunch, cutting out snacks, going for walks, working on my resume, and praying for direction. My mom has joined me with Goal 1 (losing 20 lbs.), and we had our first "weigh-in" yesterday. She lost 1.8 lbs, and I gained 1 lb...which is sadly not as bad as it could have been (I was up almost 5 lbs in the middle of the week). In addition to the steps I originally laid out, on Monday I started cutting my calories to 1200-1500/day, which has helped. I'm hungry almost all the time, but I've seen my determination grow as I seek to accomplish these goals.

Adam and I have also made it a goal to invest more time in our marriage. (I know...I'm really hitting all the DUH's today.) Because of life and all that comes with it, we've gotten in the habit of just getting by, and that's not good enough. So, we're going to work on it. I'm not sure what that's going to look like...I foresee another post including "steps to accomplish this goal" in the near future...but, as a very wise friend pointed out, "it takes time and love"...two things that I often run low on. So I'm posting this for the accountability. I need to know that people are going to ask, "how are you doing?" and want a truthful answer; I need my friends and family, who invest time and love in me, to encourage me to invest them in my husband...and I'm sure you're up for the task!

So...it's going. 9 days down...78 to go!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Personal Goals...for the next 87 days

I just found out that my brother is getting married at the end of THIS summer (and not next summer as originally planned). This is great news, of course, but it also presents a problem. ... I am currently 20 pounds over my "ideal" weight. I REALLY want to lose those 20 lbs and look nice for this special occasion because 1) this should be the last wedding for our immediate "Ogorzalek" family for a while, 2) my mom is crazy when it comes to taking pictures, and 3) I've been wanting to lose this weight for a while but haven't had the motivation. SO...I've decided to take this time and WRITE down my current, short-term personal goals (I have a few more than just "lose weight") and keep track of my progress over the next 87 days (Paul and JoJo's wedding is September 4...87 days from today, June 8). Hopefully I'll have some good news along the way; I may even post a pic at the end...we'll see!

Goal 1 - Lose 20 lbs.
Background: I started struggling with my weight in college, when I got my first full-time desk job. Thankfully, I was able to get my weight down during basketball season of my senior year, which is about the only time I ever felt "skinny". Shortly before we got married, I started putting on weight again. (During my last fitting, my seamstress told me I wasn't allowed to gain any more weight or I wouldn't fit into my dress! :-S ) Since then, I've gained almost 30 lbs. ... I KNOW everyone says "you're tall; you can't see it," but I can (and Adam can too). I started a pretty stringent diet in the fall of 2009 and did ok for a little while (I lost 10-15 lbs before we went on vacation in January), but between going on vacation, starting a new job, and getting even busier with life, I haven't been able to lose any more. So...I AM GOING TO LOSE 20 lbs in the next 87 days (12+ weeks - which is completely healthy if "healthy" is about 2 lbs/week). XX crossing my fingers XX

Steps to accomplish my goal:
1) Drink more water; drink less soda/tea. Start by drinking at least 1 0.5 l bottle of water/day. Progress to 2 bottles by beginning of week 4. Progress to 3 bottles by beginning of week 7. Progress to 4 bottles by beginning of week 10.
2) Start by eating breakfast. (This is going to be difficult because I don't get up early!) Start by eating a bowl of cereal or drinking a slim fast shake for breakfast at least 2 times per 7 days. Progress to 3 times/week by beginning of week 4; 4 times by beginning of week 7; 5 times by beginning of week 10.
3) Eat more fruits/veggies; eat less candy/high-sugar foods. Start by cutting down on sugary snacks (i.e. eat 1/2 the pack of rolos instead of the whole pack). Progress to eating lower calorie snacks in the afternoon (i.e. a pack of fruit snacks instead of a pack of rolos). Progress to eating fruit/veggie snacks by beginning of week 6 (WO July 11).
4) Plan my meals. Start by bringing WW lunch at least 2 times per week. Progress to 3 times/week by beginning of 4. Progress to 4 times per week
and add planning dinners at least 2 times per week by beginning of week 7. Progress to planning dinners 4 times per week (ESPECIALLY WEEKENDS) by week 10.

WOW!! That's a lot!

Goal 2 - Run a 5K.
Background: I'm not a runner; I don't claim to be. I used to excel in sprinting short distances, but I can't even do that anymore. I know I have limitations with my asthma and allergies, but I believe being able to run (even if it's a slow run) 3.1 miles is a tangible, worth-while goal that will improve my overall health.

Steps to accomplish my goal:
1) Continue running after yoga.
2) Begin walking. In addition to running, start by walking for at least 20 minutes 2 times per week. Progress to 3 times per week by beginning of week 4.
3) Follow 7-week 5K training schedule. Starting at week 6 (July 11), Run/Walk for at least 30 minutes 6 times per week.

Goal 3 - Investigate continuing education
Background: I've always had a desire to pursue both a masters and doctoral degree. It's just so hard to figure out what direction I want to go in and how best to get there. BUT, I have to start somewhere.

Steps to accomplish my goal:
1) Pray. Begin by praying about what God wants me to do at least 3 times per week. (I know that sounds pretty basic...maybe even "stupid" to dictate how much I need to pray for this...but this keeps me accountable, and I need that in all aspects of life!)
2) Continue investigating Medical informatics programs, schools, etc. Start by completing my resume by 6/20.
3) Pick something and apply. I don't want to rush the application process or spend application fees unnecessarily, but I need to pick something and work toward it until God closes the door. Hopefully step 1 will help!
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I'm pretty sure that those three goals, along with work, church, graduation parties, summer activities, and other sundry social events, will keep me busy for the next 87 days. But now they're written down, so let's see how it goes!