It's been a bit since my last post. But I promise it is because I have been sticking to the big picture and didn't just toss this project to the side. It actually pained me that I couldn't find the time the days I was away.
This post will actually be a regrouping or maybe a revisiting of what this blog is all about and pinpointing some things for myself.
2017 is my golden birthday year. I will be turning 27 on May 27th. That fact has been a driving force for all of my self-discovery, career changing, and balance searching. Since January 1st I've been working hard to make sure this year really counts. I know that's a novel idea to cling onto, but I found myself losing drive and feeling lost the last couple years, so I'm happy to cling onto something. 30 is fast approaching and I want to hit that milestone in a much better place than I currently am.
Being a goal-oriented mind, it is important that I set achievable paths in all aspects of my life. If I have a clear idea of what I want and a coherent, well thought out way to achieve it I almost always succeed. I'm a competitive person, losing sucks, so it's important to create easy victories along the way. In the last few years I was too easy on myself, and with this new spark I've lit it is important that there are clear courses I am steering towards to prevent a loss in motivation.
Mental: Mental health should always be at the forefront of any persons priorities. For me staying confident and happy is clearly my best state and where I find the most success. I have mentioned my anxiety in earlier posts and it is a part of me whether I want it to be or not. My goal is to keep my anxious mind working in positive ways for me, my relationship, and the world around me. To achieve this I must recognize anxious moments, and think of a positive way to spin whatever I am thinking, or be able to decatastophize the situation and remind myself of the other things going right for me at the time.
Health and Fitness: My last post brought up the cold hard fact that I may not be able to focus on bike racing the way I have in the past. At least this season. However, my body is telling me this fact as well. In the past month I have fallen ill twice after trying to get back into things. One hard effort and I feel weak and vulnerable to injury or sickness. Not to mention, since running my marathon in October, I have had a bone spur in my knee that I've yet to truly test and see if it will affect the tendons in the area as mileage racks up on it. So, for now my goal is to add consistency on a small scale. I want to be able to do 30 - 60 minutes of exercise at least 4 times a weak. It's nothing compared to what I have done in the past and it's not going to prepare me for a race season, but it will keep me active. The activity alone will be a positive factor in my mental health as well as keep a consistent base for when I am able to find the free time to ramp things up a bit more or throw in a long ride or spontaneous race on the weekend. On the health front, I need to keep my diet in check. With less time to cook real meals I have found myself putting a lot of junk into my body. I've never felt the need to go on any sort of diet, but if you think of a car taking fuel, the better quality the fuel, the better it runs, and the body is no exception.
Career: This is the most important category at the moment. Things are changing for me and I have a lot of support and preparation going in my favor. It sounds like things will be phasing out for me a bit at my current place of employment, which is perfect for getting into a new career path. As more time frees up for me I can look into freelance opportunities that will provide me with more experience while still having a steady income so I am not left with nothing and in desperate need of finding a new way to make money. My goal is to be able to take these next few months and push for new opportunities that I can use to boost my resume. Writing is a great career in the fact that there are a variety of different ways to make money. There are small part-time projects as well as full-time career positions with benefits. Landing a full-time position seems just out of reach at the moment with my lack of real world experience, which is why the freelance opportunities available are going to be an important stepping stone that I must utilize in my short term game.
Bringing it all back together, putting in the effort I used to exert into training for the bike season will definitely bring success. Keeping a happy and healthy mind and body will be the foundation for the confidence I need jumping into a new career that will surely throw some curve balls my way, and propel me towards making the lifestyle changes Rian and I dream of on a daily basis in our tiny apartment with two dogs, five bikes, and minimum common appliances. As long as I keep pushing, learning, and working towards my goals, even if I fall short, I have still bettered myself.
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