Conquer your obstacles

Last year (Yesterday), I talked about aligning actions with personal goals and making your bucket list now or basically, live like you are dying. One of my personal goals this year is to lose 50 pounds, yes 50 whopping pounds! I wanted to say that I want to lose weight, and be healthy, but I also talked about getting more specific with my goals, so there it is, 50 pounds. I want to lose 50 pounds in the before next year. That gives me 365 days to lose 50 pounds. The next step was to break that goal down into smaller goals. Recently, a veterans service organization I belong to announced The Spartan race was coming to the bay area, and our organization is forming a team. I thought to myself, I have always thought these events look like fun, although challenging and I am not in shape enough to participate. I joked with the group about a team member who was out of shape holding the group back. You know what they said? "If we start as a team, we finish as a team, we got your six." (in case you don't know, this is military lingo, for they have my back)

There are several reasons I decided to blog about this.

1.  Part of the purpose of this blog, is public accountability.

2. In order to achieve success in my goal of losing 50 pounds, signing up for this race, breaks my goal into smaller goals. So, besides losing 50 pounds in the next 365 days, I can add to that, the smaller goal of completing the Spartan Challenge in June. This works out to be perfect timing, as it is almost literally, half way to my goal date of losing 50 pounds.

3. Finally, I want you to know that if you are working to achieve a goal, a weight loss goal, a health goal, a fitness or diet goal, or any other goal for that matter, make yourself accountable to someone. By joining this race, not only have I made myself accountable to keep on track for the next 6 months, I also joined a team, which holds me accountable to others. Showing up for that race unprepared or in the shape I am in right now, I am not just letting myself down, I am letting the entire team down, especially since they said they have my back and we will all finish together.. Sometimes, we have a harder time letting other people down than we do ourselves, so by making myself accountable to someone else, I am helping to set myself up for success.

4. Finally, and perhaps most importantly at the moment, I want you all to know that if you are working towards a fitness goal, or any goal for that matter, post it here. Let me help you stay accountable and you can help me keep on track. Two minds are always better than one and doing things together, sometimes makes those obstacles seem less insurmountable. So go ahead, post it here for all to see and let's do it together!


Last year, I would have said, I hope I am ready in time for this Spartan Challenge, instead, in aligning my line of thinking with success, I am going to say, I will be ready for this race in June, Bring it on,

What are your goals, are you willing to hold yourself accountable here or anywhere?