As I draw near to the end of every year, I take some time to evaluate what my goals were over the last 12 months. Did I meet them, exceed them, or ignore them all together? And why?
Sometimes we do not meet goals that we set for ourselves because we aren’t clear on why we want to achieve them in the first place. I think a lot of us would say we would like to read more and watch less tv but why? If you aren’t clear on your why, you are much less likely to stick to your habits until they become routines.
For me, working out has been a priority for me for about the last 8 years. My reason has changed over time. When I originally started working out seriously again I wanted to lose weight. But then I lost the weight and wasn’t sure what came next. Then I wanted my body to look a certain way and I worked out tirelessly and honestly beat my body up to get it to bend to my will and meet my expectations. Then, last year, I decided that I wanted to feel better. I wanted to be well. I have never felt better in my life, I have found balance in my workouts and my body has never felt better.
The point is, we need to not only evaluate what we are doing and what we want to change but why we want to meet that goal or expectation. Is it your goal, or are you trying to please someone else? How will meeting that goal change your life? Every time we set a new goal or expectation for ourselves we are robbing time from other things, make sure you are pursuing something that is worth the sacrifice of time.
Today, may I encourage you to evaluate your routines and habits? Look for places to add things that will grow you and eliminate things that do not serve you. But above all, evaluate your why when setting goals and expectations. Make sure you are living a life that serves you and not trying to live a life to please someone else. Prioritize what matters to you and not what others say should matter to you. This is your life sweet friends, live it accordingly.
