Onwards and Upwards No. 15
Hello my healing team,
I hope this update finds you well.
Over the past 12+ months, I have shared with you some of my goals. My first goal was to achieve Complete Remission……tick. Then, I was determined to successfully return to work…….tick. It was easy (and pretty obvious) that I set these goals. When I was first diagnosed, I made a pact with myself, with my family and with you that I would do all that I could to ‘live deliberately’. But over the past few months I have found myself a little lost on how to ‘live deliberately’ as I meander through my day to day activities. This is where revitalising my goals and associated action plan come into it.
Over the past few weeks, I have been working to establish goals for myself so that I can plan to bring as many glorious new things into my life as is possible. At the same time, I have made sure that I can deliver on and improve the non negotiable aspects of my life like being a good husband, a good dad, a good employee and a good person.
I started the process by writing down some of my dreams. What would I want to be doing and who would I want to be if there were no boundaries or limitations. I considered all aspects of my life including my relationships, my approach to wellness, incorporation of fun, finances, nourishing my soul, and enhancing my career. Keeping my dreams top of mind, I then set about writing down some goals that would put me on the right path to achieving my dreams. I set myself 12 month goals as I think with this time frame, it is far away enough that I can be bold in setting ambitious targets, yet close enough so I felt the goal was achievable. I then established some associated actions that I could stick to. An example of the process I followed is below:
My dream – to live a healthy life where I have a rich, diverse and balanced diet. I am fit and active well into my 70s and 80s so that I don’t tire when engaging with my kids and their kids. I am well educated on wellness and can encourage and support others to be well.
Wellness – 12 month goals
Continue to improve my diet. Learn how to introduce more vegetarian dishes into my diet to replace some of the vitamins supplements I am taking.
Drop sugar acknowledging that chocolate is my achilles heal!
Re-establish my base fitness! Sign up to do one mini triathlon. Participate in next years Oxfam 100km walk.
Actions to achieve my goals
- Research what are practical examples of foods to replace supplements. Establish five vegetarian meals that we can incorporate into our weekly family meal plan.
- Explore and review references on diet and wellness with the Brothers Book Club
- Do at least one strenuous exercise session a week and otherwise be active. Within 5 months, work up to running 6-8kms.
- Enter the BRW triathlon in March 2016. Enter the Oxfam Walk for 2016 and train with the team. Start training from October 2015.
It is by setting goals and associated actions that I can satisfy my need to live deliberately. So can you. However, although setting goals and working to achieve them is great, I remain open to unplanned opportunities and outcomes. Fantastic things can happen when you least expect it!
Take care
Geoff
