Why You Need A Goal

Goal setting is something that as a teacher I talk about almost daily. Setting short term and long term goals helps me grow as an educator and is something I feel really strongly about that students need to be exposed to-- especially in the age of instant gratification and constant distraction. In my personal life, goals play a significant role in my fulfillment as well and I've come to the realization that goals are an integral part of a happy existence for me.
I hate being bored--as a mother that is rarely an option in the day to day in terms of my activities, but I have found that boredom can take many forms. It can sneak into your life in many places-- maybe your stuck on autopilot at work, or you are bored with the monotony of your daily routine, or you're tired of eating the same old boring food, or doing the same boring workout. A lot of times I think we get blinded by busyness and don't realize we are unfulfilled in some element of our life until a larger crisis presents itself.
I believe goal setting is the key to avoiding boredom and to filling fulfilled and identifying what can help us grow as individuals. It  keeps us vigilant to our wants and desires and ambitions as people and helps to guard our individuality.

(Here comes the obligatory running story...)
After my Disney Race, that I had focused my energy towards 100%, I decided that I was going to take a break from running and tryout a different workout program. I thought it would give me a chance to do something else, create more time in my day, and avoid the onslaught of the hot Texas temperatures that I'm sure are just around the corner. So I started doing the workouts, but I wasn't really into them- they didn't give me the release that running does.  Since I didn't really have a big race goal, I was working towards I didn't feel the need to push as hard as I had when I was training during January and August.  And so a lot of the positive changes I had made in building myself up to get ready for my Disney Race and working towards that goal became less of a priority.
Running gives me that outlet to give myself goals that I can build toward each day, that I feel proud when I accomplish, and that gives me the ability to help and encourage others to go for their goals, too.
I decided after some thinking that I needed running. So I decided that I would set a goal for myself-- a mile a day everyday in April. And then I asked people to join me because I need that accountability and community to encourage me and push me. So now there's more than 10 of us setting goals-- for fitness, and for fun, and for fulfillment. What are your goals? Are you thinking about something you want to do but it seems out of reach or impossible? You CAN do it-- but you have to plan for your success and make little choices each day to reach the bigger goal.

If you want to join us this month starting on Wednesday, April 1st send me a message on Facebook and I'll get you added to the group!