Setting Honest Goals, Part I

"Our bodies are our gardens - our wills are our gardeners." William Shakespeare

I have recently been reading some very helpful material off of zenhabits.net regarding making healthy changes in my life. There are some very thoughtful tips on how to maximize one's efforts, how to be realistic about one's goals and how to empower yourself through constructing positive habits while deconstructing negative ones.

So of course, through all this reading and reflection, I've thought: what is that one big change I would like to make? I share a common dream with many people (especially Americans, right?). I wish to lose the extra weight. I wish to have a healthy body that is fed by a healthier soul. I wish to make educated, wise food choices and exercise my body. I don't wish to hurt myself through diet fads or 'anorexic' tendencies, but I do wish to find my body in the balance.

What is keeping me from even working through this goal? To have a chance of following through on this commitment, I need to consider what my obstacles will be. I'm pretty certain I know what the primary (if not solitary) reason is: laziness. But is laziness really that precious to me? Is the time I spend lazily more fulfilling than the time I could commit to a healthy lifestyle? Let me think it through. [......]

No. Because I think every day about how I want to have a healthier body. And while I enjoy my relaxation time, I recognize that the benefits I would reap from devoting 2 hours of my week to exercise would be incalculable, really. The time I spend cooking healthy meals with my boyfriend would bring us closer together and enrich our relationship, while helping us refine our cooking skills and, in turn, our independence from fast-food mania.

Lately, we have devoted more time to the kitchen and it has helped our wallets tremendously. Also, we are able to try new things and perfect our favorites. I know that fried bologna sandwiches are not whole foods, but if that's the extent of our junk-foodness, then we are miles ahead of the McIndustry still.

May I share my goal with you? I get a 10% discount off of a YMCA membership and I think I am going to finally take advantage. On April 28th, my 23rd birthday, I am going to the YMCA and signing up for a membership. My goal is to exercise in their gym 10 times during the month of May. That's once every three days, on average. I believe this is an obtainable goal and should provide me with enough time each week to work the cubicles and PB & J's from my bones.


There you have it! The only goal I have for May: 10 times. Dix! Dix! [Imagine me screaming with a clumsy French accent.] And, of course, I will keep you posted.