Today, please welcome my friend, Rhonda, author of Motivation Mama Drama. Do you have an online friend that you've only known for a short period of time but it feels like you've known her forever? Or a friend that you've never actually met in real life but it feels as if you have? That is Rhonda. Oh, and by the way, Rhonda is my running hero! I'm looking forward to meeting Rhonda in person for the first time, for our girls only weekend to run the Chicago Marathon 2011!
In May 2010, I was an average 35-year runner. I finished most races in the middle of the pack. I always had strong determination, but lacked the athleticism to accomplish the number one goal I had as a marathon runner – to qualify for The Boston Marathon. Everything changed when my friend introduced me to the concept of writing down my goals and I was able to achieve what I once thought impossible.
My husband and my sweet boys are my love and my passion is fitness and staying healthy. I keep my family at the forefront of my priorities and I believe in always living life to the very fullest of one’s potential. I am focused, diligent and driven and am incredibly empowered by achieving goals. Running is what gives me peace, clarity, and focus. Running is a part of who I am.
“If you knew you couldn’t fail, how big would you dream?”
Without dreams, we cannot aspire to be more than we are. Setting goals allows our dreams to be a reality. When is the last you put pen to paper and actually thought about what it is you truly want to accomplish, what you want out of your life, who you really are?
A year ago, a dear friend taught me the power of setting goals. I was in a place in my life when I couldn’t wrap my head around the thought of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. It didn’t seem possible for me. It seemed like a dream. Even though I wanted it so badly, I didn’t allow myself to believe it.
Setting goals is not about accomplishing something you know is going to happen or achieving something that is anything short of difficult. Your goals should match your dreams and if they don’t scare you a little bit, you’re not setting them high enough.
I learned that until we write down the things we want, they will forever be a dream. I believe in taking five very important steps to make your goals a reality.
- Write it down. When you write it, you transcribe a dream to your future reality. It’s no longer a thought or a ‘what if’ or a ‘must be nice’.
- Believe it. When you believe it and put your subconscious thoughts into your conscious thought, your focus shifts from belief to achievement. It’s yours. You own it.
- Act upon it. You must make a plan. You must work. You must be consistent. You must be disciplined. You must focus on what you want to accomplish.
- Find Accountability. Share your goals with other people you trust. Make them keep you honest and stay true to your goals.
- Achieve it. Enjoy the journey, trust the process and anything and everything is possible.
When I wrote down that I wanted to qualify for Boston, I didn’t realize that that simple step could be so powerful. For the first time, I really started to believe I could do it. I didn’t allow myself the negative self-talk that had kept me from accomplishing things in my past. I NEVER, not once doubted myself. Thoughts of achievement manifested into my conscious.
I didn’t just train hard, I trained smart. I took care of my body. I ate right. I rested when I needed rest. I cross-trained. I worked HARD on hard days and gave myself relief on easy days.
I shared my goals. I blogged. I tweeted. I shouted. Having others keeping me accountable to my goal, kept me much focused than if I would have kept it to myself.
When race day arrived the only question that remained was what the exact finish time would be for me. I had already achieved the goal in my mind. No wall, no excruciatingly tight quads, no excuses.
I finished three minutes ahead of my goal. I put my dreams to paper and believed I would achieve.
Since December, I am still dreaming big, but now I know what I need to do to make my dreams a reality. I started living with passion and conviction for the things that are important to me. Setting goals, short term and long term is not only a necessity to my life, but a very essential component to how I live my days.
What do you realistically want to accomplish that would simply blow your mind if you made it happen?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Fitness Friday! Linking up is a great way to find new blogs, meet new people with similar interests, and introduce your blog to new readers.
Click the button below for details!
![Life As I See It [Fitness, Health and Happiness]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/momof2as/Button_WEB.jpg)
wow. this is seriously an incredibly powerful post. and i am SO glad I read it. at first I was nervous because it made me realize there are a lot of goals or wishes that I have deep down that I am scared to face for fear that I might fail or for the simple fear of just wondering if I am really capable. thanks for sharing this...it made me realize that I can truly work toward anything that I want to...I just need to commit and believe. Thank you so much for this post!
Posted by: Julia | July 20, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Thanks so much Jill! What an honor and privilege to guest post for you!! Thanks so much for your kind words! I feel the same about you!
Posted by: Rhonda | July 20, 2011 at 09:26 PM
I really like the idea of writing goals down. There is something really powerful about it and it makes the goal so much more real.
I think bloggers have an even greater opportunity to share our goals with our reader which just adds that much more oomph to it.
Posted by: Dina | July 21, 2011 at 07:49 AM