goals...

Goals are important.  Having them, striving for them, reaching them.  Goals are one of the most important things we can do.  To me, they are like dreams for ourselves that we plan, work and achieve.  

I've never been very good at goals.  I've set them and rarely reached them.  I don't know why that is, but there you have it.

Near the end of September, when I heard about Inktober, I set a goal for myself by joining up.  I also set a knitting goal with Scoreboard.  The latter is still in progress and will be until the end of my team's season.  I worked my way through Inktober and was quite proud of myself when I made it to the end of the month and had participated every day.  Since I enjoyed it so much I set a goal to participate in the Art Every Day Month during November as well as the NaBloPoMo.  So far, so good.

Another goal I set for myself, a while back was to work on my health.  I started walking and after a few days set a goal to be able to make it through a one mile walk.  When I reached that goal, I set a new one for 1.5 miles.  After a couple of weeks, I started to feel differently.  I could tell I was losing weight and I had more energy throughout the day.  I started weighing myself once a week and setting a 1lb loss every two weeks.  That is very reasonable, I think.  Every week, I walked as many days as I could.  Sometimes in the freezing cold, sometimes in the rain and sometimes both.  I walked in sunlight, in clouds, in fog.  

As I walked, I started to feel better, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.  I started being proud of myself.  I started having more self-confidence.  The more I walked, the more I wanted to walk. 

The day after I hosted my Halloween party, I woke up sick.  I spent a week nursing a sore throat, coughing, achy and chilled.  I barely walked even one day that week and worked my way through several cupcakes and lots of Halloween candy.  I gained 3 lbs that week. The weird thing was, I didn't get down on myself.  I recognized it for what it was, and moved on.  That has never happened before.  

As soon as I could, I started walking again.  I walk almost every day and on the days I don't walk, I really miss it.  I made it to 1.75 miles in my walk, then moved up to 2 miles.  I set a goal for my weight, a big one and a little one.  Then I started working hard to reach that goal.  Even on a day when I didn't think I could get out of bed, I made it up and out to walk. 

Today, I woke up late and thought it would be a wasted day.  But it was Saturday, so I got on my scales and found that not only had I lost that extra 3 lbs, but an additional 1.5 lbs.  But most importantly, I'd reached my big goal.  In fact, I reached it faster than I thought I would.  I couldn't ask for better motivation.  I changed into my walking clothes and shoes and headed out for a walk.

It feels really good to reach a goal.  No matter what else happens, accomplishing something each day makes me feel good about myself and works to my biggest goal, to be happy.  So yeah, I'm tooting my own horn a little today.  I think that's a first, but you know what?  I deserve it.  I earned it.  So...Yay, Me!  :)

Anywho, here's today's aedm, a pencil sketch.  I really like the way she turned out. 

Just keep practicing, that is one of my goals.  

Do you set goals for yourself?  Do you do little or big goals?

thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~