I would imagine that every elite athlete, movie star, or singer has at one point had a dream that led them to their ultimate goal. Now, while I did at one point dream of fame and fortune, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be best known as a pretty good reading teacher, a wife to an amazing husband, and mother to the most incredible gifts I have ever been given, my three children.
My goal is not nearly so lofty as the aforementioned superstars. I just want to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle with a slightly more (or is it less?) flabulous body. I just need a plan to keep me going in the right direction.
In our school district, Robert Marzano is an educational guru. He and his colleagues have identified some of the most effective teaching practices that can be used with students. One strategy is setting goals and providing feedback. I have decided that what is good for education must be good for real life, right? I am hoping this could be a powerful strategy for me to improve my life as well.
In a little less than two weeks, I will be celebrating birthday number forty-something. One month ago, I decided that as a birthday present to myself, I would set the goal of finally breaking my plateau and bringing my weight under the 170s. From experience, I know that it is not enough to just set a goal--you need to identify steps to help you meet that goal. So here we go:
**Step #1: Bump up my exercise. Despite running 3 days a week, which has enabled me to maintain my current weight, I need to do more in order to move forward on my journey.
**Step #2: Track my food. I have gotten lazy on my portions and snacking and need to find a better way to hold myself accountable…enter the dreaded tracking.
**Step #3: Drink my water. In addition to keeping me hydrated, the extra water will fill me up so I don’t overeat when I am not really hungry.
So for the last few weeks, I have added an extra stationary bike workout or two, and I religiously consumed enough water to keep me running in desperation to every restroom I happen to pass. The tracking has not been as easy. With a busy lifestyle as a teacher, mother, wife, etc., I find this to be the most challenging step. Despite this, I am almost there. I am at 171 with just under two weeks until the big day, but I have to say, no matter what the outcome, I am a winner. I set a goal, identified some steps, and worked hard to make moves in the right direction. I am almost there, but I have to remember, life is not a race, it’s a journey. If I have to revise my goal, oh well…I will keep moving forward.
My goal is not nearly so lofty as the aforementioned superstars. I just want to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle with a slightly more (or is it less?) flabulous body. I just need a plan to keep me going in the right direction.
In our school district, Robert Marzano is an educational guru. He and his colleagues have identified some of the most effective teaching practices that can be used with students. One strategy is setting goals and providing feedback. I have decided that what is good for education must be good for real life, right? I am hoping this could be a powerful strategy for me to improve my life as well.
In a little less than two weeks, I will be celebrating birthday number forty-something. One month ago, I decided that as a birthday present to myself, I would set the goal of finally breaking my plateau and bringing my weight under the 170s. From experience, I know that it is not enough to just set a goal--you need to identify steps to help you meet that goal. So here we go:
**Step #1: Bump up my exercise. Despite running 3 days a week, which has enabled me to maintain my current weight, I need to do more in order to move forward on my journey.
**Step #2: Track my food. I have gotten lazy on my portions and snacking and need to find a better way to hold myself accountable…enter the dreaded tracking.
**Step #3: Drink my water. In addition to keeping me hydrated, the extra water will fill me up so I don’t overeat when I am not really hungry.
So for the last few weeks, I have added an extra stationary bike workout or two, and I religiously consumed enough water to keep me running in desperation to every restroom I happen to pass. The tracking has not been as easy. With a busy lifestyle as a teacher, mother, wife, etc., I find this to be the most challenging step. Despite this, I am almost there. I am at 171 with just under two weeks until the big day, but I have to say, no matter what the outcome, I am a winner. I set a goal, identified some steps, and worked hard to make moves in the right direction. I am almost there, but I have to remember, life is not a race, it’s a journey. If I have to revise my goal, oh well…I will keep moving forward.
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