We all have goals in life. Some small, some big, and some life changing. I have spent my life on a roller coaster of goals, finding myself off the tracks more times than none. My New Years resolutions often don't make it to the end of January before I have given in, and my goals grow smaller and smaller as the challenge becomes harder and harder. Lucky for me, one goal finally presented itself in from of me, and I finally had the support system blocking me from my excuses out.
I was that girl in elementary school who would fake a fever on the day of the mile run. I would spend the week before contemplating what possibly could keep me from running the mile run that year. I have spent my entire life dreading the "R" word; in my world the avoidable "R" word has always been run.
I watched role models in my life set goals and achieve them, and I envied them with every fiber of my being. I was done watching and not doing. I was able to watch amazing transformations in some of the most loved people in my life, and I finally stopped telling myself I couldn't do it because I had them.
A small goal of running 1 mile for me without stopping was monumental. Tears were shed and my lungs felt as if they were deflated and dormant. I gave up on this simple goal every time I attempted to reach it. My mind could not comprehend who in the world could ever feel success or reward from running and putting themselves through what I considered to be "agony".
The repetitive text messages and devoted time that people put into helping me reach my goals carried me through when my body was drained. Days passed and a summer flew by. My goal expanded before I even had the chance to look back and see how far I had come.
I am running 5+ miles now and am loving the view. I like to think I finally and successfully reached my first goal that I actually carried through, but I know that most credit goes to the ones who ran through the challenges with me. I would not have gone a week working for this small goal without the people who dragged my ass out of bed at 6 am to keep my feet running when my toes were so numb that I really questioned whether or not they were still attached to my body.
The fact of the matter is that we all have goals, and we all have the tendency to tell ourselves that our goals are unrealistic for our lifestyle. I am here to tell you that not believing you can meet a small goal is absolutely absurd. I am finding the most reward from a simple mile run, and from there it has gone farther than I ever imagined I would ever even have the desire to do in my lifetime. The best part it, is that it doesn't stop here.
