Focus on the First One First

With each step, sit up, push up, form repetitions...  No matter which goal you wish to attain in life, you need to just start.  The big goal can seem daunting but as we focus on incremental progress and breaking it down into doable steps, it becomes just that - possible.  Really it all starts with doing the first thing and then repeating that until you gets some momentum.

This little bit of wisdom is what I keep trying to remind myself of this year.  I started the year full of excitement, ready to conquer the world.  Some days I do conquer what needs to be done that day to complete my goals, many days I do not.  Every day I do at least one thing to move me in the right direction inching my way forward.

There is one goal where I am having more issues just getting started than the others.  I blogged about my tense relationship with my bathroom scale.  It is not so much the scale that is the issue, really it is just a scale.  The issue is the number that is shows and what that number represents.  My scale does not lie.  My scale is quick to show me exactly where I stand.

Lately my scale has been signaling to me that mediocrity has set in.  Although my weight has been a struggle my entire adult life, I do know what I need to do to maintain a healthy weight for me.  It is not easy and it takes a great deal of intentionality.  It is an area of life where I can not allow mediocrity to sneak in and expect to be able to hide it.

So where am I with respect to this goal?  Honestly, I am feeling extremely overwhelmed by where my habits have lead me.  This goal is a little different in many ways than the other ones.  It is not tracked necessarily by what I do but by what I am able to lose.  There are many factors that come into play in order for me to be successful.  In many ways, this leaves me feeling defeated and then struggling to start.

So what do I need to do about this?  I have set a plan that is more easily trackable that will put me on the path to success.  Really, what I need to do is take that first step, tracking my food, fighting back against the mediocrity.  Most importantly, I need to focus on losing the first pound first and not be focused on the big number.


Numbers as of March 18/18
Push ups      2697/ 50 000
Sit ups         2697/ 50 000
Kempo           26/ 1000
WuDang Sword 89/ 1000
Distance     156.3/1609
Kicks       460/ 50 000
Sparring     0/ 1000
AoK         99/1000
Gratitude  94/1000
Journal      27/355
Piano    5.9 hours/ 80 hours
Reading   3/24 books
Geocaches  4/120 finds