New Decade, New Me. That’s my motto, and probably the motto of many of you. I’m trying to improve on my overall physical, mental, emotional, and financial health this year, so when my friend asked me if I wanted to do a 5K run with her, I jumped at the chance to set an attainable fitness goal. On New Year’s Day, I set up a training app to help me build up the endurance to run 3.1 miles over the next two months. I set it to train 4 days a week. The app kept setting the first day of training for a later date, no matter what I did, so in the spirit of starting the new year off on the right foot, I decided to do the workout anyway.
While cycling through walking for a minute and jogging for 3, I felt the endorphins kick in and remembered why I enjoyed running. Years ago, training for and completing a half marathon got me in fantastic shape and keep my sanity while going through a very painful divorce. While I made my way along the lake paths in my neighborhood, I could feel stress leaving my body with every exhale. I came home tired but happy!
My next training day was two days later, and I wasn’t going to let the cold front and drizzle that appeared deter me from my goal. I pulled on a hooded sweatshirt, a waterproof jacket, hat, long pants, and laced up. I got to the end of the driveway and turned around. It was sooooo cold! I wasn’t going to quit, so I came back inside and grabbed my thin but warm running gloves. Back out I went. I got halfway up the street this time, and my sports bra broke. I’m not kidding! The front zipper came apart from the bottom of the sports bra, and let’s just say I released the hounds! YIKES! I quickly turned around and headed inside, AGAIN! Re-dressed with a better support system, I left the house one more time. I got almost to the top of the street and the light, cold drizzle turned into a full-blown freezing deluge. Despite taking precautions against the weather, there was no way I could run in this! I returned home soaking wet and feeling defeated.
As I peeled off my layers of wet clothes, I had a little pity party lamenting the universe being against me. When I stepped into the shower, I questioned if I could reach my goal. Would my plantar fasciitis act up and allow foot pain to derail me? Would I be able to make time to train? Would I be able to stay motivated along the journey?
While the hot water washed over me, warming me from the outside in, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that one of the only guarantees we really have in life is that it is unpredictable. We are going to be thrown curve balls. We are going to face challenges. Those are givens, but the difference between success and failure lies in the ability to navigate through the obstacles that arise. We have the strength to forge ahead, undeterred by potholes in the road ahead. Setbacks are a given, but they aren’t a reason to quit. I can’t think of anything important in my life that I didn’t have to work hard to attain. Everything in our lives requires effort to maintain and improve, from resolutions to relationships. For my botched run today, I’ll just have to do it later as the weather clears. I will also make sure I do day 3 of my 30-day plank challenge, which can easily be done inside with the heat on! I’m just going to keep forging ahead!
When the universe seems like it’s against me, I try to think about what I am being shielded from as my path gets redirected. Today in my attempted run, I wonder if I might have slipped on a pile of wet leaves and twisted my ankle, preventing me from running for a while. Would I have gotten hit by a car or met by an aggressive dog? I’ll never know, but because I made an adjustment instead of quitting, I’m still on the path to my goal.
Strength, focus, and resilience are the keys to success, and we all have them within us. We just need to unleash them, but not in a broken sports bra kind of way! Take time to set goals and make a plan. Then put that plan into action to achieve those goals and be the best we can be!
Share your resolutions with us or any tips for overcoming obstacles. We can all learn and grown from each other!
If you are looking for more inspiration, check out our Motivation Page.
When thinking about this new year and what you want, check out What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self? and learn about Balance, Boundaries, and Breaking Points.
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