365 Deliberate Baby Steps
I once heard a baseball coach say you win the game by winning each inning. This stuck with me because it made the goal seem achievable. Instead of focusing on the score at the end of nine long innings, (well, it was Little League, so it was more like six eternity-length innings) the players could just concentrate on earning more runs than the other team before the next three outs. I bring this up now because my mom instilled in me the tradition of setting something like 10 Resolutions before the beginning of a new year. I had high hopes of completely changing my life every year until I settled back into my old habits about two weeks later. Granted, I was all of about 12 years old so my goals were somewhere along the lines of growing out my bangs or learning all of the words to my favorite song, but you get the gist. Based on the way the gym looks on January 1st vs. February 1st, I don’t think I am the only one who has experienced this phenomena.
I mentioned in a previous post that I have a friend who chooses one word to focus on for the year. I chose Balance as my mantra sometime in August last year and it’s fair to say that it could possibly hold the honor of Lifetime Word for me. Still yet, I love how the feeling of a clean slate, fresh breath and new start comes along with a clear calendar. Luckily, my sister bought me a daily planner for Christmas. While she uses her dated squares to assist in sending out birthday greetings to every family member exactly on time, I have something else in mind for my empty dates ahead.
2018 basically tied me to its back and hauled ass through many of the mountains and valleys I attracted into my life path. Happily, I’m still standing and learned a lesson about taking a more proactive rather than reactive approach to existence. I now have my vision of the goals and dreams I plan to achieve firmly in place:
- I want to publish a book.
- I desire traveling to new places and experiencing new things.
- I would like to maintain or improve my health (dare I aim for a small hint of definition on my abs?!).
Admittedly, at this moment in time, all of those feel like they are at the end of the 9th inning.
To get from here to there, I am committing to 365 baby steps. Every day, I will do one thing that puts me closer to the happy me that I envision. And, every day, I am going to write down that achievement no matter how small. Recently I took about five minutes to write down all of the happy, joyful memories I could recall, both throughout my life and any blessings that I am grateful for in this current segment of time. That five minutes raised my vibration and made me feel terrific. There truly is power in writing down and focusing on the positives.
Yesterday was a practice day for my new found endeavor and I consider these small achievements 5 steps in the direction of my aspired future:
- I drank two entire bottles of water. (My daily beverage routine usually consists of espresso, coffee, tea, a few sips of water here and there, and then wine).
- I took a pack of vitamins.
- I worked out for an hour.
- I began writing this blog post.
- I chose to skip the vodka tonic that called my name after dinner. (“Amanda, you know we are still in celebration mode for the holiday season, right?”)
Four steps more than my daily goal makes yesterday, in my opinion, go down in the books as a Bad Ass day, and that last accomplishment isn’t mentioned just for shits and giggles. Choosing NOT to do something can most certainly be a step towards where I want to be. If I miss a work out, but I skipped on the after-dinner cookies my daughter made, will-power will be my small feat for the day. Focusing on small gains supplies the momentum to continue on with progress.
When I reflect upon days that I wake up, go to work, possibly stop for a drink with friends, arrive home, cook, clean and go to bed-I feel disappointment. None of that day moved me in the direction of the life I anticipate for myself. Of course I do not think it’s bad to enjoy a drink with friends. (To the contrary, it’s usually good for my soul). I just know that if during that same day I make sure to press on towards my desires, not wasting the entire gift of 24 hours, I will feel uplifted, confident and focused. I am even going to give myself credit for the accomplishment of meditating because it raises my vibration and creates space for God’s blessings. This literally means I will pat myself on the back if I devote 10 minutes to doing nothing (especially not thinking).
I am certain that at least 365 decisions made with the deliberate intent to move me towards my dreams will make me feel like I am in the driver’s seat of my life in 2019. I will admit that for a fleeting moment I considered how it would have seemed kinder, maybe more morally correct, to resolve to do one nice thing for someone else each day of the year. However, the cool thing about focusing on bettering myself is that when I’m whole and happy I have more energy and joy to offer others. Therefore, making myself fulfilled and satisfied ends up being a resolution that benefits those I interact with as well. So, I hope I get to see you next year!
Similar places in our lives, and similar mindsets, make your blogs a breath of fresh air, and just the reinforcement I need to hit life running! With a smile on my face, and goal in my mind, I’ll keep marching toward my dreams.
Nicely written my friend!
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