Goal!

When you are a kid goals are more achievable: beat my brother at Pac-Man, babysit enough to buy that swank new Trapper Keeper, study hard and get in to good college.

As an adult we tend to push aside attainable goals for grander aspirations: house, kids, better job, bigger car. These things take lots of time, energy and sometimes a lot of power beyond your control.

So far the best part of my journey these 2 months has been the smaller goals I have set for myself. I still have that dreamy-type list of things that will take years and lots of hard work to attain, but in the meantime I have a smaller list of milestones that I can see, not in a crystal ball, but actually on the horizon.

This week I hit weight loss goal #2. I am now 20% of the way to my big dreamy goal (which doesn't look so daunting when broken down in little bits). It felt great, boosted my spirits, spurred me to move harder at the gym.

My budget is shaking itself out too. I actually looked ahead a couple weeks and I didn't get nauseated at the view. The changes I have made financially are starting to show.

We need goals in life that we can reach. There is nothing wrong in setting a reasonable goal, no one will think you are unambitious if you say: "I want to save $20 this month." or "I want to work out one more time this week than last week." You are not underachieving, you are giving voice to your need to say: "Yes, I said I was going to do something and I did."

When it comes to weight loss and budgeting it is way too easy to get lost in the weeds, to be in over your head and give up, I have lived that way for my entire adult life. These milestones along the way serve as trail markers out of the forest and into the clearing.

My next goal is coming up quick, by Nov. 1st I want to hit 25% of my goal. If I can go into November and December having lost 25% of my goal I will be determined not to let the holidays derail my progress. 25% is big, it is worth celebrating and not with egg nog. It will mean different sized clothes wrapped under the tree this year and holiday photos I might not be horrified to look back on some day.

Don't wait for the biggest goals to be reality, celebrate yourself for recognizing when you do something small for yourself, we don't acknowledge the small things enough.