I had a moment of euphoria today, knowing that the fall reversal of Daylight Savings Time added an hour to my morning. I grinned and even hummed a tune as I made the rounds to turn each clock back one hour. Then, I sat down and wasted that bonus time playing a silly computer game. Ah, me.
I did spend some time today, and over the last couple days, assessing my accomplishments for October. I’m participating in the “Last 90 Days Challenge,” and there were five daily expectations:
- Drink half my body weight in ounces of water
- Thirty minutes of exercise
- Start each day writing out ten small things I am grateful for
- Give up one category of food or drink that I’d be healthier without
- Get up one hour early each morning, and use that time for personal development
There were some successes, and quite a few short-falls. I never drank the 65 ounces of water that was my goal, but even on my worst days, my intake was far better than ever before. I walked every day, morning and night, easily surpassing the thirty minutes per day I had committed to. I missed my morning writing about a third of the time. I gave up alcohol and chocolate for the month, and made it through without a single “cheat.” I rarely made it out of bed an hour early; when I did, I almost never used the extra time productively.
Beyond the “Five to Thrive” list, I had my own agenda. I intended to complete a major whole house purge, clean and organize extravaganza, plus finish painting the floor downstairs, and get my studio ready to work in. I delayed my progress by taking time to list my goals and chart my progress (ah, me.). Though the ability to highlight things as they were finished was a great motivator, I am still not done.
I’m not discouraged. I’ve learned that the biggest triumph comes not from what is finished, but in continuing to try. Here is November. A new month, a fresh start, and another chance for success!
cindyricksgers 