On Monday I stepped onto the bathroom scales (as I do every couple of weeks) and double took at the number staring back at me… don’t panic, it was favourable (and I’ll come back to that)!
You see on my summer holiday this year, I set myself a fitness goal. Over the last three years my weight has been creeping up. So much so that in the summer I was a stone heavier than where I was in the summer of 2012.I know three years is a long time so 4 pounds ish a year doesn’t sound like much but it was niggling me. I didn’t really know what the reason was for any sort of weight gain as I train quite hard and eat quite healthily 80% of the time. Nevertheless the scales were telling me very clearly that what I had been doing wasn’t as effective as it used to be. So I decided to readdress my goals.
Formal goal setting is a relatively new habit for me. We all have goals – I have had goals for years – but it has taken me a frighteningly long time to realise that having a concrete plan of action is vital to me actually achieving my goals in a meaningful way.
What was interesting about sitting down to redefine my fitness goals was I found myself re-planning and refining my goals in all areas of my life – professional and personal. The discipline and focus I started applying to my fitness regime began to permeate into every area of my life – it was a little like looking through a camera lens and refocusing the image so it was super sharp.
Yesterday the lovely Adam DT, with whom I work, told me about a quote attributed to the legendary Samurai Miyamoto Musashi.
Musashi said, "If you know the Way broadly, you will see it in all things." In other words, excellence achieved in anything increases your potential in all things. Not that I’m not saying that I’ve achieved excellence in anything yet, but with a focussed intent, persistence and purposeful practise, it’s a pretty great philosophy for life.
So back to my fitness goal and the Monday morning bathroom scales. Predominantly any exercise goal for me is health related. I wanted to kick start my metabolism to see if I could address my surreptitious weight gain, and improve my fitness levels, but I won’t lie – there is a vain element too.
So, what the scales told me on Monday is that I have lost 10lbs since August and am 0.7% off my leanest body fat percentage so… happy girl right here!
One thing I realise time and time again is that there is no end to learning if you are goal or desire driven. To get anywhere takes motivation, intention and hard work. But once you find the way that works for you – you do truly see it in all things. And I look forward to sharing my creative goals with you in the very near future…