Changing Gears A few months ago, I gave up running. Due to a chronic injury it is impossible to continue. That’s it, gave up the runners and threw on the bathing cap and goggles (I found some that don’t leave lines on my 55-year-old face).
Are you thinking, “Oh no, she is going to start blogging about fitness and blah, blah.?” It’s not really about that. It’s about goals.
I am surrounded by coaches. I have a writing coach, my best friends are life and productivity coaches. And husband, well he’s more of the non-pom pon kind of coach. They are all incredible goal companions.
Floundering
When I swim laps my mind wanders. I begin to think of the day ahead, plans, troubles, lunch, victories, dinner, and on and on. For some reason, what was usually my “back to the pool honeymoon,” seemed excessively tedious. Three or four days a week for three weeks I dragged myself in the pool. I kept watching the clock. Should I swim 45 minutes? It’s been 30, I’m ready to get out of the pool. If there weren’t other swimmers to witness my fifteen-minute swims, I would have bolted. At the same time a friend had been posting her swimming accomplishments. Her Facebooks post were motivating; every time she would improve she would record her new personal best in yards swum.
Press Toward the Goal
That was the problem! I hadn’t set a goal and I wasn’t keeping track of my distance. Just swimming along, lalala, lost in my thoughts. I needed to make a change.
With my new goal-setting attitude I leapt into the pool and began swimming. I started counting laps instead of looking at the clock. My goal that day was to see how close I was to a mile. Wait! Ten minutes had passed, and my mile was within grasp in the time set aside. Off I went to complete my mile. Time seemed to fly. Mile accomplished! Next goal; add distance to the same time allotment.
The Message version of Paul’s letter to the Philippians says it this way,
“Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.” (3:14-16)
Do you have a goal? Are you totally committed to it? Is your dream floundering in your mind with no forward thinking? Are you thinking about lunch? Set a goal. Tell a friend. Leave it in the comments. I’ll cheer you on!
Goal-setter,
Susie