Sprint To The Finish

Welcome to October. I was thinking this weekend about my previous life in corporate America and how it revolved around quarters. We had quarterly reports, quarterly goals, quarterly budgets and quarterly reviews. Here we are: the last quarter of 2011. I was curious how I was doing on my goals for the year, so I pulled them up. No, I don’t have them laminated and in my wallet. I actually had to go to the page above to find them.

I am quite pleased with my progress. In fact, I was kind of surprised I have had the success I have had.

Physical:
√ Run a 5K by September 30. I ran my first ever 5k race on September 24. It was a neighborhood race, part of an Eagle project. I’m counting it.
√ Weigh 200 lbs. by October 30. I can report that, as of this morning, this goal is complete! The scale reported 200.0!
• Exercise 5x / week, running 3x and strength training 2x. I have been getting the running in. Partially complete.
√ Eat less. I have been doing that with the help of this new diet. I am amazed how little I eat now.

Spiritual:
• Read the New Testament by December 31. Still working on this and way behind.
…Read the Book of Mormon by December 31. Bad. Haven’t even started.
…Read 4 religious books by December 31. Not good. I am about half way through the first.

Mental:
• Complete 50 woodturning projects by December 31. I will call this a partial, but I know I am not going to make it. I made 23 pens, but that is it.
√ Write on the blog twice weekly.  I was going to call this a partial win until I counted it up. I have written 130 posts this year, which would be more than the 104 required for the goal. I haven’t posted as regularly as I would like, but still, I have done quite well.
…Complete an outline for my book by June 30. Complete miss. I haven’t done anything. However, I am committed to writing something in November for NaNiWriMo. If I finish the book by December 31, can I count this as a win? I think so.

An unwritten goal I had this year was to read 50 books. I am on pace for this one. I have finished 32. I have decided, though, that the religious book goal is more important than completing this one and will focus on it.

As I said, I am very pleased with the progress I have made this year. I have done some pretty hard things that I didn’t really believe I could accomplish. Losing the weight was one of them. My wonderful wife has listened to me whine and rage and for that I thank her. I couldn’t have done it without her constant support. Even in the darkest days when I was gaining weight despite being quite strict on the diet, it was her confidence that kept me from abandoning it. These last five pounds have been the toughest and I owe them to her.

Back in January, I was concerned with discipline. Did I have the discipline necessary to accomplish these goals. Did I have the discipline to make the changes in my life I desire? This whole year, I have doubted my ability to stick with something. I even went to a doctor a couple weeks ago to get checked for Attention Deficit Disorder. The doctor actually laughed at me and told me if he got 15 things out of the 20 on his Saturday list, he would be nominated for Husband Of The Year. Instead, he suggested I have a problem with being satisfied. Then he politely told me to get out of his office.

Here I am, nine months in the searching for discipline, only to discover I have it. I can stick to a diet through ups and downs and lost thirty five pounds. I can write regularly and return to it, even if I get knocked off schedule for awhile. I can make it from not being able to run a block without gasping to running a 5k without dying. What I need to find are realistic expectations. Can I get those at the mall?