Yet another week greets us, which means another need to play catch up with our blog friends after a busy weekend away from the computer, right?  

How it should be. If you’re wanting to get all up to date with FFF happenings, here ya go!

• Running Etiquette – Potty Breaks?
• No Double Digits
• I Don’t Know What To Say (includes FFF Features) 
• He Knows Me So Well – Birthday Recap Part 1
• Self-Love Reflection: Don’t Listen to the Little Voice
• Don’t forget the Luna Protein giveaway (FIVE winners!) – ends Friday

Whew! That’s a link roundup right there! Now, why don’t we dive right into this morning’s post. I realized at the end of last week I never gave you part two of my Numbers Game panel recap. I figured Monday morning made the perfect time to make up for it. I’m sure we all have some goals we would like to tackle this upcoming week – so let’s do that in a healthy, balanced way!  

The awesome panel: Lisa, Janetha, and Beth

In Part One of the Numbers Game I focused on the positive and negative ways we can use goals. Well, that’s all fine and dandy to look at but what matters is how we apply that information. In today’s post, I want to discuss how we make sure we use numbers to motivate our goals in a balanced way that helps us achieve healthy progress.

We each had different experiences to share and key points to take away. Some of my other members have each done a great job giving their points of view on their own blogs:

• Beth’s Post – being flexible and doing things for yourself
• Lisa’s Post – it’s okay to not have specific goals

Now, it’s time for another one of mine. (with some fun outtakes again along the way)

3 WAYS TO KEEP A HEALTHY APPROACH TO GOALS AND TRACKING PROGRESS

Step One: Break It Down. Think about your goal. What does the big picture of your goal look like? Running a half marathon? Writing a book? Doing ten push-ups on your toes? Holding a challenging yoga position a full minute? Developing your blog? Achieving a healthy weight? Saving money? Reading more books? Picking your nose less? (checking you’re paying attention) What IS your goal?

Now…list out everything you can actively do to work towards that goal. Be specific. List out the many actions you can take that can help you achieve your goals.

Step Two: Focus On What You CAN Control. If you have a weight loss goal, you may find yourself frustrated when the scale doesn’t reflect your efforts. If you have a blogging related you goal, you may get discouraged should the growth you anticipated not happen. However, those numbers relate to outside sources (hormones and water weight or people clicking your site). You can’t fully control them.

Go back to that list of things you can do to work towards your goals. Those are where your focus should lie. You want to PR in a race? Make your focus getting in adequate training runs and speed work. Want to achieve a healthy weight? Focus on the number of nutritious meals you eat in a day/week/month and the number of workouts you accomplish? Want to increase blog readership? Focus on producing quality content, getting involved in the community, seeking guest post opportunities, etc.

Checking off what you CAN control and putting effort into those practices regularly WILL lead to results with time. Consider every small act you take towards achieving your goals an accomplishment and don’t forget them along the way. Setbacks will undoubtedly happen at times – boy do I know that from my overcoming binge eating goals – but you have to stay focused on the positive and believe in yourself to continue moving forward.

Step Three: Re-evaluate Often. Step back and look at your progress and ask yourself tons of questions to make sure you are still on a healthy path.

1. Have your goals changed? How do you need to adapt your actions for them?
2. Have you achieved your original goal but it doesn’t feel good enough? Why do you feel the need to do more?
3. Have you tried everything but aren’t seeing results? What ways can you alter your current choices to kick start things again? Seek advice if necessary.
4. Are you feeling unmotivated suddenly? Remember why you originally pursued the goal and determine if you still feel as strongly. If you do, focus on the why of your goal. If you don’t, consider adjusting your goal or finding new inspirational tools.
5. Are you going crazy? Do you feel overwhelmed or stressed? Take a close look at what triggers those emotions and resolve those issues. Perhaps you will need to give up counting calories or reading particular blogs or using certain tracking tools.

Stay aware of your needs and your happiness. It will make achieving your goals that much more possible.

There’s the gist of my main points for this topic. I do have about ten million more things I could delve into and talk about. Obviously I feel quite strongly about this topic. I want people to achieve their goals. I want people to dream BIG. I want everyone out there to do exactly the things they hope to do and achieve their wildest hopes and dreams. I think we all have the potential to do so…and to do so in a healthy and happy way. Go get ‘em tiger.

• Do any numbers “set you off” in a bad way with blogging or health/fitness?What things motivate you in a positive way?
• Which of the points above stick out to you the most or do you try to focus on in your own personal progress?

Does history bore anyone else? Dates? Timelines? A billion Johns and Henrys? Blech. I hated every class. It never clicked with me. It also didn’t help that I always ended up with a teacher that had a vendetta against me. Which, I don’t blame her. She had to put up with me and my best friend, Thomas, chatting incessantly and corralling our other friend Derek to bust out in a ballerina dance mid-lecture randomly through the year. Good times. Good times. *sigh of nostalgia*

Despite not loving history, I can’t deny that history does teach us a lot. It can help direct us in the future. And I think that applies to our personal histories and lives as well. So, I’m going to play a little timeline game. See what I can learn. And help those new faces I have seen popping up around here get to know me a little better too. 😉

*Twilight Zone music may commence now*

10 Years Ago..

Senior in high school. Recovering from the worst accident of my life (being hit by a car as a pedestrian). In the crazy, tumultuous on/off again relationship that lasted 8 years. Overall, pretty happy and took things one day at a time. PS – I know I’m a young mom.

7 Years Ago…

source

I had my first binge after four months of controlling my emotions through food restriction and excessive workouts. I ate an entire box of Pop Tarts and I think half a jar of peanut butter. Maybe more? And then binges happened at least once a week for a long time. I struggled with my relationship with my father more than ever. I contemplated suicide on a daily basis and made three attempts.

5 Years Ago..

I met this man. He helped me set aside my pain, guilt, and anger with myself to give faith in something outside myself a shot again. Then, I fell in love with Jesus. I fell in love with myself again. And my life has ever improved since that time.

3 Years Ago…

I taught high school Spanish. I felt excitement at the impending arrival of my first child. I had finally overcome the hold binging had on me by growing in my faith and seeing my body for what it could do over how it looked. I still wanted something more, though.

2 Years Ago…

I trained for and entered a fitness competition. I thought that achieving that goal would fulfill me on some level. Instead, it brought me back closer to some of the unhealthy habits I had fought so hard to break. I then battled the emotions of having to gain weight quickly in order to conceive baby B. I also first learned about blogging at this time and decided to give it a shot after awhile.

1 Year Ago…

I was going through life – pregnant and uncomfortable, but genuinely happy and blessed. And anxious at knowing more awaited me just around the bend.

Today…

I almost feel like Julia Roberts in Notting Hill. You know the part? I’m just a girl…standing in front of a boy…asking him to love her. I feel you, Julia. I feel you.

I’m just a girl…writing out my thoughts…wondering why people care to read them.

I’m just a girl…mothering her two children…while still caring for herself.

I’m just a girl...seeking God’s guidance…so I don’t make a mess of this thing called life.

I’m just a girl…opening up to others…trying to surround myself with love.

I’m just a girl…finding a way to balance…but still slipping up sometimes and that’s okay.

I’m just a girl…realizing a lot can happen in a decade…and not wanting it any other way.

And a decade from now? I hope I’m still just a girl…taking it day by day…and enveloped in the love, passions, friendships, hobbies, and good food that I find in my days today.

• What was your life like 1, 5, 10 years ago? What do you think/hope your life will look like another 10 years from now?