I'm big on "refreshing" your goals once the initial ones have been achieved, and not waiting for the new year or a birthday or even Sunday to get started. But it just so happened that I was doing a lot of thinking towards the start of the new year, about the changes I want to make in my life.
After being diagnosed with ADHD just weeks after my 28th birthday (and thinking, WOW this explains so much of my struggles earlier in life!) and starting medication, I began better able to organize my thoughts and complete more tasks. Changed meds a couple of times until I got it right, but now that I think it's all in place, I have been able to create - and stick to - a calendar of household chores that I need to do: laundry (frequently - because our washer and dryer are SO SMALL), going through mail, paying bills, and keeping things organized. Oh, and keeping up on top of my progress notes and parent communication for work. This started to fall into place in early December and now it's time to look at the other pieces of my life that have fallen by the wayside.
We always hear "create measurable goals," but I actually find that creating measurable goals, when you have an unpredictable schedule, leads to mentally beating yourself up, on those days when you just can't acheive that goal. Or at least, beating MYself up.
The goals I'm currently working toward for myself are:
Eat more fruits and veggies: I kind of let fruits and vegetables fall to the wayside over the past year. And the truth is, most of my favorite foods are vegetables (except pancakes). My goal is not to stick to a certain number of veggies and fruits, but rather to make sure that my kitchen is fully stocked with fruits and vegetables, that are easy to access (bananas and apples in a bowl on the table thrown into my work bag with a packet of peanut butter, frozen veggies to microwave with my late dinner, baby carrots to throw in a baggie with an individual package of hummus, and reminding myself that I don't ALWAYS need to choose the high protein fish/tofu option when I'm out and can get the portabello dish that is more appealing - should never feel guilty for choosing vegetables...or ANY food but especially vegetables, come on!) I also got into this funk where I was avoiding fruits because of "all the carbs - I would rather have a bagel" but apparently fruit (and vegetables) offer more than just carbohydrates, they offer all these vitamins where, if I eat them consistently enough, maybe I won't need to load up my body with caffeine to feel awake and energized.
NYC Marathon 2015: Last year, I was so excited - I got into the NYC Marathon through the lottery. Only a couple of months later, I injured my ankle/foot and was not able to run for a long time. I had to defer my entry to the next year, but you're only allowed to do that once. So I have this marathon to train for now. If you know me, you know that one of the greatest experiences of my life was running the NYC marathon in 2011, but that I had just started running then and really over-trained to the point of injury and while I finished the race, I couldn't run for a while after. Looking back, I feel lucky that I can run now. So my goal is to train appropriately and adequately for this. I don't need to "go hard" now - but I need to get into a groove and schedule runs into my day-to-day plans, or else I'll forget them. I need to download awesome music and make sure that I have weather appropriate running clothes. My goal is to work my way slowly up to race day (early November) so that my body is strong and healthy when it comes time to do the 26.2.
Cook more: I'm actually an awesome cook. I love to try new things, and have some classic dishes that I love to make too. Cooking actually really relaxes me, helps me to de-stress, and I feel good about the end result almost every time. Finding the time to cook, however, seems to be the trouble. I'm going to try to cook a few times a week - maign things that involve leftovers and things that can turn leftovers into second meals from time to time as well. I'm trying to save money, hopefully to move into an apartment with the GF this spring, and trying to not eat a thousand veggie sticks and a couple of string cheese for on-the-go meals on a regular basis, just for the sake of nutrition. Planning, cooking, and preparing leftover meals for work are on the agenda for this year.
Me Time: In order to earn/save money, I work a million hours a week. Usually, Sunday is my only day off. I also love to sleep. And spend time with my other half. But sometimes, self-reflection is necessary. Sometimes, a little solitude is good for the mind. Running is also an excellent form of self-care and meditation for myself, so that goes nicely with the me-time goal but I need to integrate other ways of self-care and reflection time. GF does not like to watch the dark crime shows that I enjoy - so instead of sleeping till 12 on my late start days, I'm going to try to get up earlier and enjoy my episode of SVU, or write in my blog. I'm also going to start up Hebrew lessons again, and I always forget how much benefit I get from art. These are my little notes to myself that I will keep on a notecard or in my phone for when I'm bored and don't know what to do so I stare at Facebook (which doesn't really do much for the "me time" benefit, honestly). Maybe it's the ADHD, or maybe it's the fact that I have a crazy busy life, but I tend to forget what to do with myself when I actually have downtime. Keeping a little log of the things I enjoy and want to be doing for myself when I'm able to will help me to take care of me.
With all of these goals, I could certainly say "Jessica, you are not cooking enough. You're slacking on your running. When did you actually do anything productive in your free time? You didn't even eat any vegetables yesterday." However, could also ask myself if I am doing my best given the circumstances - and if not, taking it as an opportunity to give it an extra push tomorrow, instead of beating myself up for it today.
Self-improvement, balance, happiness, and inner peace are all JOURNEYS, not DESTINATIONS.
(Do you have any "grey weigh goals" that you're working on to balance your life better? What do you think of the idea of NOT using measurable goals on this journey to a healthy balance? Try to think of the things you want MORE of in your life, and how to get them. There is no exact recipe for happiness, just listening to yourself - your body and your mind - to tap into what you need to be more balanced. I would love to hear what "grey weigh goals" you are putting into place to achieve balance in your own life!)
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