Hey folks!
I have some good news and also a refresher course on goal-setting at the end. As I mentioned in my last post or so, I asked all those of you who may be undertaking a project--weight loss or otherwise--to look at my post on the SMART approach. It is widely advocated and used in a number of fields, but when it comes to your health, I think it is a completely valid first step (and something all of us should brush up on every now and again to make sure we continue to set reasonable, achievable goals for ourselves).
As for me, well I've signed up for two court volleyball teams for late January, I'll be moving on to level 2 Portugese then as well, and I have decided to stick with my indoor soccer team too, even though I was afraid the better guys on the team wanted to move us up to a new, more competitve level. Now that all's said and done, I have warmed up to the notion of being on a team that wins, as long as I get to keep playing with a friend of mine. I'm also excited because I'll be reuniting with my beach volleyball team on the hard floor. After playing with them for two years, you do build quite a rapport, and it will be nice to be in touch again.
In other news, I picked up all of JD Salinger's works of genius at a used book store today. I also enjoyed a burger, and with great restraint, did NOT take a pop or fries. Instead, I savoured the juicy beef, whole wheat bun and condiments with a side of water. After weeks of eating in restaurants, I am struggling to once again (my eternal problem) get back into a routine of preparing meals at home consistently.
My friend asked if I had ever posted before and after photos on here. I believe I did, but since I don't have the time or desire to sift through old posts to check, I will post again immediately following this one, with some eye candy for you ha!
I'll have more to say soon, perhaps on the weekend, about my mood lately. For now I can say I am generally feeling good. Oh, and if you genuinely need an overdose of happy, go see the latest Muppets movie. You may be in for a deeply pleasant surprise.
Have a great evening! I am off to soccer, but I leave you with the SMART steps below, and will re-post shortly.
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Specific: Specify the behavior you wish to change. Instead of saying, for example, "I will be healthier," determine a particular healthy behavior you will work toward integrating into your life. "I will exercise 3 days a week," or "I will floss my teeth every other day," or "I will eat a piece of fruit every day" are examples.
Measurable: means you can evaluate your progress. So instead of saying "I will increase my exercise," identify the number of days you will be active and/or the amount of time you will put into your regimen. "I will do cardio two days a week for half an hour and lift weights two days a week for twenty minutes" is a measurable goal.
Achievable and Realistic take into account your ability and lifestyle, as well as the rationality of your goal. Saying you're going to do something like exercise "every day" is probably unrealistic, as is setting a goal to "never" do something else like eat chocolate. Do previous injuries prevent you from running a marathon? Will you really be able to maintain 110 pounds? Set goals that are not too easy, but are within your reach.
Time Frame your goals whether it be by the day, week, month, or year, and reassess as necessary. "I will work out 3 days a week for half an hour in the month of January" is a time-framed goal. At the end of the month, I can see if I accomplished my goal and if there are changes I would like to make for the following month.
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