Goals vs. Promises

Going into Op Reboot, I didn’t want to set specific goals for myself for fear of making promises and not following through. But I’ve quickly realized a great fault in that approach. It allows the option to not succeed. I’ve struggled with reconciling the concept of “say little and do much” as my grandmother so wisely counseled my cousin, and the idea of setting concrete goals. “I’m going to accomplish X by X date”. The mere act of stating a goal…are those not words? We have stated we will do something. And if we do not follow through, it affects our credibility. Yet, even if we do not speak that goal, it is still something we have defined. We must define. Setting goals, therefore, is different than broadcasting promises. We need concrete goals in order to have something to work towards. Otherwise we are proceeding aimlessly.

Setting goals is an important part of any plan. In nursing, for example, care plans are developed for every patient. They consist of (1) diagnoses, (2) goals/outcomes, (3) Intervention/Implementation, (4) Evaluation. The wonderful thing about these plans is that they are not only patient centered, but goal oriented. Short term and long term goals are identified. They must be specific, realistic, and have a time frame upon which the goal should be completed. Interventions are basically a list of things the nurse and patient will do to meet that goal. And after the designated time frame has passed, the outcome is evaluated as to whether or not the goal(s) was met. And the plan gets modified accordingly.

One of my goals with Op Reboot is to get back in shape. Let’s be real. Everyone wants to look good and feel good in their body. I am no exception to that rule. However, I would like to emphasize that my main focus has never been and never will be for pure weight loss. Yes, I want to look good, BUT, I believe in a holistic approach to wellness, and establishing healthy lifestyle habits that can be maintained for a lifetime. Regular exercise, healthy diet, and spiritual nourishment are key. Being at a healthy weight for your height and age significantly decreases your risk for heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Learning in depth about all these disorders this past semester in nursing school only confirmed and reiterated that fact and the need to have healthy habits.

 

Back in 2008 I had reached 200lbs. It was at that point that I realized I needed to change the way I was living. By the beginning of this year I had dropped down to 150. After awhile I stopped working out as regularly (it was cold, I didn’t make the time, etc), but I didn’t gain weight because I maintained healthy eating habits. I plateaued for several months….but then nutella and nursing school happened lol. I currently weigh 175lbs with a BMI of 29.12 which puts me at the higher end of the “overweight” category. I don’t suffer from any health conditions due to my weight, but obesity runs in my family and so does diabetes. So the motivation to get down to a healthier weight is there. And beyond the health benefits lies my passion for dancing which in and of itself requires some level of fitness. I dream of one day taking a hip hop or contemporary dance class and both would be extremely difficult without a strong core, muscle strength, and flexibility.

The items I listed at the beginning of Op Reboot are still a valid part of my “care plan” but I will look at them more like “interventions” than “goal/outcomes” towards the path of healthy mind, body and spirit. So for my physical health, I won’t sit here and write that I’ll make it to the gym X amount of times every week. Or that I won’t eat desserts ever again. But I will say that I aim to be 145 by May 19, 2012. And 120 (BMI of 20 - "normal weight") by the time I graduate nursing school (December 2012). These are my specific, realistic, and deadlined goals.

To close, this quote:

“It is a shame for a [woman] to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which [her] body is capable.” -- Socrates

Here's to a journey that just got more real.