Goal lines

Without deadlines and restrictions I just tend to become preoccupied with other things.  -Val Kilmer

My Goal Line--October 16, 2011

Within the wonderful world of gray, the ends of the spectrum--the black and the white--still exist.  I have chosen a topic today that we are going to call Goal Lines--which is a spin on the word "deadline."  Mostly because dead lines has a negative connotation--and I have never really thought of it before, but DEAD line?  No thank you.  We are living, not dying.  I am not a very big fan of deadlines, but ask any boss I've ever had--I cannot function without them.  If you need something done by Wednesday, you need to communicate Wednesday to me, not "whenever you get  a chance."  Deadlines create a natural anxiety within us that is necessary to complete a task--whether it is a session note, getting car registration done, getting a bill paid, or getting to work on time. 
 

2010 Autism Run/Walk
I believe running w/ a tongue out
makes me cool, right?

As promised, we are going to take a spin on this and look at how goal lines can keep us motivated.  If I have a date in mind regarding something I will accomplish (versus a deadline, a time in which it must be DONE, not accomplished), it gives me some of that same anxiety and accountability.  Those goal lines become even more real when we communicate them to others.  I do a lot of thinking, analyzing (to a fault--and you who are reading this & know me well know how true this is!), and dreaming.  In my world of embracing gray, however, I cannot dream, think, or analyze only--I have to embrace, I have to DO the gray.  I have used goal lines to do this many things.  Everytime I begin to think about a new race, I tell someone--anyone--because then it becomes a reality.  I did my first 5k on May 29, 2010.  I was as nervous as could be, but my amazing friends & their kids did it with me to keep me from feeling as terrified.  From the time I crossed that finish line, I knew it was going to be the first finish line of many.  Since that time, I have had to have a next race in mind--I need to know what is coming next so that I can prepare, train, focus, and keep that accountability under my feet.  I went from several 5ks (3.1 miles) to an 8k (4.97 miles), then a 10k (6.2 miles), then a half marathon (13.1 miles), and now onto the BIG one--the full marathon (26.2 miles). As soon as I thought about these races, I spoke them into truth and could not talk myself out of them.
 
So think about this for yourself.  What goal lines can you set for yourself?  If you are trying to quit cigarettes, can you pick a goal line of the day you are going to quit?  If you want to lose 5 pounds, can you pick a goal line for when this will be done?  Maybe a credit card you want to have paid off that would benefit from a goal line?  The idea of a goal line is that it no longer is a dream or an idea--it is a goal that you will actively pursue and by having a goal line in mind, you can accomplish it.

The Frnephew, T Dolla Bill

This is now the time where I will transition into "Shameless Plug" time.  There are 2 races coming up this fall in the Triad that I would LOVE to have any of you take part in, in whatever form you can.  The first is on Sept 17 and is a walk/run for Autism.  My little frnephew (that is a word I created--meaning friend/nephew as there is no blood relation) is going to be 6 next week and we did this race last year as a fund raiser for families in the community who are impacted by autism.  If you are interested in joining our team for this or donating, please check out our facebook page right here or the actual race page at this link.  There is one other local race that I ran last year alone and found it to be the most inspirational race ever, the Women's Only 5k.  Last year, over 2200 women/girls crossed the finish line at this event that raises money for mammography scholarships.  From the moment that the race began, it was a sea of pink for 3.1 miles.  It was moving to see women/girls of all ages walking, strolling, running, dancing the entire way.  If you would be interested in participating in this event, please check out their site here.  I will definitely be at both races and would love to meet up with any/all of you who are able to join for it.  And for those who are shy about it, there are many in both races who walk the entire thing--so they are not competitive races, they are races for a cause (my favorite kind).  I will be posting later this week about some training programs for those who are interested in preparing for a 5k--and I PROMISE you that ANYBODY can do a 5k.

The black and white that we can create (goal lines, limits, boundaries) allows us to embrace the gray and function within it.  A goal line creates the boundary, and we can work diligently within our gray to meet it.

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend, friends--share with us about your goal lines--and if your goal lines are either of the 5ks, I will see you there!!