Goal achieved!

On Sunday I ran 10km non-stop. I set this goal 9 weeks ago and was due to complete it
within 12 weeks, but on Sunday I decided to run a different path that I thought would be about
8.5km. It ended up 10km. So with 3 weeks to spare..... I did it!

The entire day I was on an emotional high. 9 weeks ago I never thought I could do it
(well, not never, but it was hard to imagine). Back then running 2km non-stop was hard. Then 3km
was hard, 5 then 6 then 10. It was all hard, but 10km was no harder to run than 2km, I
just got better at running it, fitter, stronger. I got into the rhythm of running.

Maybe that's the same with any goal. It's always hard, you would not call it a goal
if it was easy to achieve, but "hard" seems to stay relative. For example, when I was at uni, it was
hard, but 1st year exams were relatively as hard as 3rd year exams. Of course 3rd year
exams are harder, but I knew more in 3rd year as opposed to knowing nothing in first
year. It's all relative!!

So, what if nothing was "too hard"? What could be achieved if you accepted that it would
be hard at the start and hard near the end, and that the journey would be  mostly
bearable? Would that knowledge disolve some if the fear surrounding seemingly
unachievable dreams and make them appear more achievable?

It has me thinking......

What could I achieve if any goal was as hard as the next? Would I set my  standards
higher? Would I give everything I dreamed of a go? Would I stop wasting time and just
go for it?

Maybe it's time for me to give everything I've ever dreamed if going a good and
thorough attempt. How hard can it really be?

I believe it would not be as hard as expected.

Changing Habits

I have been away for over a month- totally inexcusable!

But in that time, I have been productive, so productive I stopped blogging! I have

• Been following a 10 km running program, and am up to 7km- 8 weeks ago I thought this was impossible
• Been starting up a new business, trying to get my website content written for when I go live.
• Started a new course for work so that I can change the work I do. This will help me transition to my new business.
• Started training for the 50km night walk for Coastrek 2013- I'm team leader for the Tireless Trekkers. Last year I completed the 100km walk (our group came in second!) but I don't want to risk another fractured foot this year, so the 50km trek is what I've chosen to complete.
• Been spring cleaning and decluttering my home to be better organised when I start my new business- its a constant work in progress.

I've also been not-so-productive and have started some not-so-good habits! I have

• Been sleeping too much- i.e.Ive done a few hours of cleaning and tidying, surely its time for a nap!
• Woken up multiple times during the night, so of course I deserve a sleep in (after taking children to school)!
• Been studying at 2am in the morning, sometimes til 5am which further interrupts my sleep and gives me another excuse to sleep in later.
• Been less than firm with my lovely puppy and let him sleep in my room, on my bed, in my bed. This is very very very hard to admit to!!!
• Scheduled in exercise in the morning, put on my exercise gear, then choose to nap instead! Then missed out because I was busy in the afternoon.
• Made excuses not to do my business work.

These are not new habits, they have just developed a life of their own at the moment. If I don't address them soon, the end of the year will come and I will have no website, no business and still be feeling hideous due to poor sleep habits! I am a life-long procrastinator and need to JFDI, so today I have woken at 6am, was up and showered by 7am and at work by 8am. Not a bad effort for Day 1, but it has me thinking of the other things I need to do.....

I obviously need a plan. To change a habit, you need to replace it with a good or better habit. So my habit of sleeping erratically is going to be replaced with going to bed at a reasonable time and getting up between 6am and 7am and not going back to bed. Procrastinating may be replaced by a timetable of activities or deadlines or daily to-do lists. I do have some bigger ideas of what I need to do, but they will need a little more work.

But for today, I am up early, at work and taking the first step to changing some bad habits!