The above image is a picture of the puffy numbers I made for my nephew for Christmas.
It seemed like an appropriate picture to post because I wanted to talk about numbers. One thing I realized about myself in the past year or so is that for some reason if I am able to quantify something, I have a better hold on it and it's more likely that I will get it done.
"What's that now?" You're probably saying as your eyes shift over to your facebook page.
Well let me explain.
Say I need to do the dishes. I don't have a dishwasher (it's on my list of 'wants' so get off my back) and sometimes if there are a lot of dishes to do, the thought of washing them overwhelms me and they get left for another day. HOWEVER, if I go into my kitchen and tell myself "I'll just wash ten" it's way easier to manage. I'll wash the ten, then wash ten more, then another until I'm all done. Breaking it up is where it's at.
Same thing goes with tidying. If I look around and there's a lot to do, I won't do it. BUT if I say "I'll just put ten things away" and use the same strategy as above, it works every time. Amazing how I am able to play this OCD-ish game with myself at the fine age of 33.
At the beginning of this year, I wrote down all of my goals: financial, personal, health, career - all that fun stuff. While reviewing last years goals I noticed that some I had achieved (buying a condo), some I had not. One is my physical fitness goals. I'm not overweight or anything, but I have dreams about being much more physically fit than I am and lowering my overall body fat. That was my goal last year, and I did not achieve it - at all. In fact I am identical to what I was then.
So this year I wrote down some pretty hefty fitness goals and like I had already been doing with my Grouse Grind climbs, I added quantities:
Go the gym 150 times
Run 10km 40 times
Grouse Grind 20 times
Here are my results so far:
Gym 1/150
10km Runs 3/40
Grouse Grind 0/20 (not open yet)
I know what you're thinking - um....the gym is not going well at all. That's true, but I have been busy and not feeling 100% this past week, I will definitely get on that one and keep it updated on this blog. The funny thing is that the one time I did go, I actually got up at 5:30 in the morning and went. It was so surreal. There are A LOT of people who do this. It messed me up for my whole day, I was so tired. If you're gonna get up that early, you need to go to bed early.
As for the runs, I feel like I'm on track and shouldn't have a problem completing that goal. I think it will be quite an accomplishment to do 40 runs in one year.
Grouse Grinds? Can't comment until the mountain opens, so that one will sit at zero for awhile.
Let's see if the numbers pay off. What kind of tricks do you use to get things done?
5 comments:
I've been (on and off) reading a book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and one of the things she suggests is doing anything 'in the moment' that will only take a minute or less. So, for example, instead of putting a used mug in the sink to deal with later, she would say just do it right then and there and it's done. That way those little things don't pile up and become big things! I have (for the most part!) started doing that and I do find that it makes a difference over all.
PS Very cute letters you made!! I bet your nephew loves them!
we played with the letters yesterday, he loves them.
Haha, I'm commenting beneath Mcenroe! "Cereal for Dinner" for the win! ;)
I totally agree with you about quantifying things... it helps me get stuff done too. In fact it's similar to my current gym resolution... going 3 times per week which I've been able to live up to so far except for the week when I was sick (I went twice). I'm also trying to run for the billionth time in my life, and I'm getting more success and I think it's cuz of the number thing... I'm trying to always to at least
5 km on the treadmill each visit, with more running and less walking. I was super happy that last time I was able to do 26 mins of running and got my 5 K in much faster. (I am so envious that you can run 10K! I'm a crap runner... if one day I can run 5K straight I'll buy myself something crazy frivolent as a reward.)
But yah, the numbers on the treadmill motivate me. I'm OCD too. I always have to stop on a number that makes sense, like an even distance...
Hope that you meet all of your fitness goals this year!
ps Love the numbers!
Those numbers are awesome - what a great idea! Mind if I steal it?
If I have a big chore like vacuum and wash the kitchen floor, I'll tell myself that when I'm finished doing that I can sit down and watch an episode of House with a cup of tea. If it's a small thing.....yeah, I usually let things pile up. I should follow Elizabeth's advice.
Cool numbers. You are a talented lady.
I divide and conquer as well. Do laundry one day then dishes the next day except I have a dish washer but still get lazy to put them in it.
Lofty fitness goals. Of course the first few times it will be tough but your body will get used to it. You should look into P90X.
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