on baby steps....

So you have a task you’d like to complete, you devise a plan, and you set a goal, and PRESTO…you want the goal achieved, done, and crossed off of your list, right? Yeah, ha~ha~ha…too bad life does not happen the way WE think it should! What it takes to reach our many, many, many goals in life are…baby steps, little itsy bitsy baby steps…lots of them! Yes, I know, it is kind of a drag to wait to work and see our goal through, but that is just the way it is. It goes back to that personal patience thing, and if you are anything life me, I have no, or very little, patience for myself. I am, however, learning that as I get a little older, and I get a little wiser, I can wait to see things through, and I appreciate hitting the goal so much more, when I had to work for the prize. A story that always comes to mind for me, is a personal accomplishment I took on last year. Two cousins of mine, and myself, decided to walk the 39.3 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. My cousins, who are much younger than I am, had completed the walk a few years prior, so they knew what a commitment the walk was. Doing the walk had been a personal goal for me, for many years, so what was I waiting for. So, the heavy duty fundraising was complete, and the training had been done, all that was left was to walk. Two days of intense walking was ahead of me, but come hell or high water I was going to see this through. The walk was more difficult than I had ever imagined, and I don’t think all of the training could have prepared me for what I went through. At mile 15 I was advised, by medical personal, to stop walking. Why you might ask….because I had blisters under my toe nails, and inevitably my nails were going to fall off! Then at mile 26.2, end of day one, I suffered from dehydration, and the physician who treated me, also advised me to stop walking. But did I stop….HECK NO! I signed up for this, and I was going to see it through. This adventure was, by far, one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life, physically more difficult for me than child birth! But when mile 39.3 mile approached, and I saw my beautiful daughter, as well as, many of my family members at the finish line cheering the “Save Pink” team on, I felt so complete and accomplished! My eyes are tearing up just thinking about it right now! This experience is one I will NEVER forget. A few days later I was telling a work acquaintance about my experience and she looked to me and said…”see Michelle, this should teach you that ANYTHING in life is possible, and it takes is baby steps”! That statement hit home for me, baby steps, that’s all I need to take. In the case of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer…baby steps, and LOTS of them!!!

Today’s activity: baby steps

Today I encourage you to take a look at your list of personal goals, those that are still on your list, as well as, those you may have abandoned half way through. Where are you in the goal to finish line process, and why did you abandon some half way through?....loss of personal patience perhaps?!?! Well I am here to tell you, don’t give up, DON’T EVER GIVE UP!  Reevaluate where you are in the process, and get back on the band wagon. Hitting a finish line can be a long, agonizing process, but as you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and you begin to see the fan fair at the end of the line, you will be rejuvenated to get your butt in gear and see that goal through. Perhaps you set some New Year goals, that you need to revisit. We are about ¼ of the way done with 2011, where are you in your goal process? Are you on track, or have you given up? Perhaps you set goals on a regular process, but for some reason you have fallen off the path. Whatever the case may be, I advise you, please don’t ever give up. Rather put on those walking shoes, get back on that walking track, and start taking those steps, those BABY STEPS, to the finish line!!!!