Last night hubby and I went out to dinner to celebrate 4 weeks on the NYT list (the last three on the extended list, but hey! I’ll take it!) So we didn’t get home until late, and now it’s time to get the kids off to school. Usually on days like this where I don’t write my post the night before, I come back home and write something up, then go to Starbucks to write. But today . . .
. . . I’m going to the gym. At 9 am there is a “Quickfit” class and my trainer (yes, I now also have a trainer) said it’s the best class for losing weight and suggests I go three days a week. So I’m doing it. I’ve already lost 10 pounds and my goal is to lose a total of 40. So no time to blog!
However, this brings up something about me that I noticed. When I started seriously writing, I told people I was writing a book–not everyone in the world, but my husband, my mom and my best friend Trish. As I finished manuscripts, I started telling other friends: “I wrote a book. Now I’m trying to find an agent.” Why? Because once I started telling people, I felt I HAD to stay committed and not get scared of the rejections, keep learning, keep improving. Sometimes, when our dreams and goals stay secret, we have a hard time staying focused. It’s easier to lie to ourselves. (I don’t have the time, I’m no good, I’ll do it later, yada yada.)
So now I’m serious about losing weight. As serious (okay, ALMOST as serious) as when I started writing. I got my doc to prescribe appetite suppressants, I’m going to the gym twice a week so far (with the goal of 4 times a week) and I’ve lost ten pounds–an average or two pounds a week. Slowly but surely, I’m getting there. So I’m telling you all . . . because by publicly announcing “I’m going to do this,” it’s harder for me to lie to myself that I’m too tired, have too much to do, or any other excuse to not go to the gym. I mean, if I fail . . . you’ll all know.
My trainer said I have dense muscles so might not lose the poundage I expect, but she thinks I can trim up and tone. So that’s my focus . . .
What about you? What do you do to help keep you focused on your goals?