katToday is January 15th. Yep, two weeks of January were knocked out just like that.
Right around now, reality might be sinking in. Your goals will take more time and effort to accomplish than you expected. You might be realizing you stretched yourself a little too thin. It’s hard to keep a schedule and hold yourself accountable, right? I’m right here with you, lol.
Some days you might not feel like going to the gym. Maybe your goal to take a 30-minute walk daily didn’t happen, but you took 3 walks this week, and that’s better than none. You should have fulfilled your goal of spending less on takeout last week, and now you feel less accomplished because you didn’t.
And I’m here to tell you it’s ok.
As I mentioned in my blog *insert blog title with link*, flexibility is necessary to fulfill your goals. Sometimes things don’t work out as expected. Most people give up on their goals entirely once they have a slip-up. Shame and disappointment build up when you don’t live up to your goals. You might not reach all of your dreams, but 9/10, you definitely will do better than you would’ve had you not set the goal!
And you’re not like most people, so you’re not going to give up no matter what. 😉
See, the point is reaching the end. It’s about more than whether you fulfilled the goal precisely as you envisioned. Instead, you’re going to be filled with grace and get back on it as every day, week, and month pass by until you reach the end. Listen, the goals you set should be challenging. Why would I set a goal to walk 2 laps daily at my neighborhood park if I already do that? Let’s set the goal to three, then even if I don’t do 3 every day, I’ll strive for three, so I’ll do a little more than 2 and develop higher endurance.
When you strive for the top, you’re bound to get close. I learned this at a very young age through sports and school. In elementary our school would set competitions where the person with the most AR points would get a massive reward. Sometimes I’d even set goals to make first place; did I always accomplish them? Rarely. On those occasions I did lose, I still felt accomplished because I pushed myself to do more than expected. As a result, I ended up with 2nd or 3rd place or even 10th place, but still, that was better than nothing.
I also learned to sink into the feeling of failure. I learned not to be a sore loser over time because, in the end, being a loser means I tried, and not many do. Some people don’t even put themselves out there for fear of losing and, as a result, lose out on many growth opportunities.
I’d always been interested in music and singing (I have memories of me hollering like a mariachi when I was a little girl). I remember I took advanced choir in my senior year of high school. I hadn’t taken a choir class since I was in 5th grade, and even then, we just sang songs; I never learned to read sheet music. Still, I never thought I could learn to sing until one day in middle school, my childhood best friend told me, “Anyone can sing,” I took that to heart and ran with it. I watched tons of music videos, memorized every Taylor Swift and Beyonce song (yes, my two favorite artists in middle school), found vocal coaches, tried singing apps to learn how to match pitch, and stuff like that! My family was so tired of me singing they’d always tell me to shut up, but we lived in a one-bedroom apartment, so that makes sense! I never gave up, though, until one day, a sound came out of me that didn’t sound too terrible. So then, I realized I could hold a tune.
So with some encouragement from my friend, I tried choir. I remember crying so much that semester because I felt so inadequate. One time I started crying in front of my class! One day though, I went to my music teacher’s classroom during lunch to practice for a performance. She said, “I like you. Do you know why? Because you keep coming back, you don’t give up.”
It was then that I realized my persistence isn’t annoying or useless-it’s actually valuable and admirable!
So how do you keep going when fear of failure, inadequacy, and insecurity are telling you to quit? You prove that voice inside your head wrong. You keep going.
But what if it’s less about your feelings and more about what’s happening around you? Don’t lose heart; it’s just gonna take some time.
Sometimes life sucks because of your actions, and other times for external reasons beyond you. We can’t control what others around us do, and sometimes others’ actions can cause us suffering.
But instead of looking at others and blaming them, I’m going to ask you to look at yourself.
Just focus on yourself and keep going despite the challenges and circumstances around you. You can’t control what people say or do, but you can manage your life and your reaction to the events around you.
Don’t blame anyone or anything, but do better than them and love them too. Be harmonious, forgive, and be kind. Loving actions and loving words can thaw all opposing forces against you. I have found this to be true.
That’s the key to striving towards your goals when things get complicated.
Two things I saw on TikTok (credit to those Tiktokers whose usernames I can’t remember lol):
- Starting is 90% of the battle. For example, getting to the gym. You need to worry about getting to the gym, don’t worry about anything else. Just wake up, get the clothes on and go, then you can worry about the rest. It’s just about getting there. Once there, if you do nothing else, get on the treadmill until you feel comfortable and strong enough to develop a good routine. It’s just about developing the habit of getting to the gym first. Baby steps.
- Romanticize your life. You’ve probably heard this all over TikTok, but I’ll repeat it. It would help if you created small joys in your daily life. Go for a walk and watch the sunset and feel love. Go outside and walk barefoot; let your feet touch the grass. Go to a boba shop and get yourself tea! Take a bath with lit candles and rose petals. Buy yourself flowers. Dress up and take pictures of yourself! Envision God by your side and talk to him, being perfectly comfortable in his unconditional love.
Final words from my wise preacher, “If you’re not inspired, you’re not going to take action.”
This is absolutely true. Music is one of the fastest ways to help me feel passionate and inspired. I can immerse myself in words and the story and feel profound feelings. So find what inspires you and how to experience that feeling again, so you can get on your feet and fulfill your wildest dreams. I believe in you.
Playlist for today:
Halfway There-Big Time Rush
For His Kingdom-Sarah Nathalie
Before the Dawn-Tori Kelly
Ain’t No Doubt About It-Zombies
Edge of Great-Julie and the Phantoms
Exceptional Zed-Zombies
