Working towards a goal is a great feeling. I've found that when I have a clearly laid out goal in mind I can effectively plan my strategy towards achieving it. I'm more motivated, excited, and I feel accomplished and purposeful. Without goals I tend to wander aimlessly as if I'm stuck in a rut and don't know what to do with myself. I hate that feeling.
I can remember times in college when I did not have clearly defined goals. The road to success at that time became more of a bumpy, hilly, and meandering trail. Thus, the reason it took me 8 years to become a teacher and the 50k in student loans. :) When I don't have goals it's easy for me to become lazy and unproductive, maybe even a bit complacent. I took me a while to figure out how important goal setting is and how it really can drive your life forward. I remember reading Rick Pitino's (successful college basketball coach) book "Success is a Choice" towards the end of my college run and understanding then how aimlessly I had been living. I think that is when I took a serious look at where I wanted to be in 5 years and developing shorter term goals to get there.
Setting goals has changed the motivation in my life. In the beginning it was more of a conscious effort, but now it's just become the way I live my life. I can tell the difference in my moods when I haven't set up goals in awhile and set out to accomplish something new. I get restless, bored, impatient, and slightly depressed. Maybe this is also because of my slight ADD. :)
If you have a competitive sports brain, like me, setting physical goals and pushing physical limitations can be the most exciting and rewarding. I love the feeling of preparing for a big game mentally and physically and the success of all the hard work put into it whether I'm doing the competing or the coaching. In the past few years races became my outlet for pushing my own physical limitations. 2007 was my year to race having competed in about 8 different ones throughout the state. 2008 became the year of back and knee pain and early pregnancy. Now into 2009 I'm feeling the hunger to race again but with my protruding belly I know I'm many months away from it still. My new goal, and perhaps my biggest goal yet, requires more mental and physical preparation than I ever realized. Bringing a baby naturally, safely and calmly into this world and then caring for her and raising her up morally and ethically strong.
Preparing for labor using Hypnobirthing reminds me a lot of what it's like to prepare for a big race. To really be successful I have to 1. believe in myself 2. physically prepare by eating well, sleeping well, streching, kegels, and probably more exercise than I'm doing and 3. mental preparation. Probably the most important part of it all. I firmly believe that the body will respond to what the mind believes. Daily affirmations have become part of my routine so that I will really feel confident. Every night I've been reading and re reading parts of my book and listening to my relaxation cds (which I've conveniently put on my ipod). Ryan and I are at the point now where we need to start practicing relaxation techniques together. If we could spend 30 minutes going over and practicing techniques at least twice a week we'll be in good shape. Like taking time going to the gym, except this is a brain gym.
It seems like a lot of work, but I'm enjoying it. I get that same feeling as if preparing for a race. It's rewarding and worth every second in the end. Besides that, who doesn't enjoy relaxing? This baby gets one opportunity to be born and I want to make sure I give her the best experience as well as myself.
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