At first when I saw the “Goals” page I was just very focused on what that meant for my running. It is a running journal, after all. I want to be faster, stronger, tougher. But when I looked more closely at it, I found myself getting emotional and this made perfect sense to me – my running is connected to all aspects of my life, and my reasons for doing it go way beyond just a time on the clock or even staying physically in good shape.
Running opens me up to myself, it shows me who I really am. And I will admit, I don’t always feel awesome about myself and the job I am doing in life. There are so many things that I want to improve on to be a better me. This is not to say that I am not nice to myself or just so critical of or down on myself all the time – I believe it’s important to be open to change and to want to change, but to do so in a way that is full of self love, self acceptance and forgiveness.
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| hello, self |
I am a work in progress, and I honestly believe that I always will be – I hope I always will be. I hope I feel this way for all of my life. I don’t want to ever get stiff or stagnant or cold or stuck – in a physical sense, in an emotional sense, or in a spiritual sense. Youth for me is about so much more than age. It is a state of mind, a peaceful heart, an OPEN heart. A joyful heart. I want to be forever learning and growing and changing, yet to have my roots firmly planted and to know who I am. To always be real with myself.
This journal opened my eyes to some things … I am not facing my real self – my whole self – as much as I want to be. I am not pouring myself as passionately into all the things I care about, as I am into some of the things I care about. Maybe it’s because life can be so overwhelming. With three little kids and a husband, a busy household to manage, my own solitary pursuits and passions and those of the ones I love – there is just a lot going on. Whatever the reason, I have a lot of stuff to work on that really matters to me. I talk a big game about dreams and going after them in so many areas of my life – career and running, especially – so why not take that same attitude towards other areas of my life that are equally – and if not more – important to me!?!
If I want to live my life to the very fullest I have got to look closely at what matters to me, to recognize where I need to change and to do my best each and every day – one day at a time – to make choices that will lead me in the direction of my dreams. With passion and intention and with self awareness.
And this doesn’t just mean running dreams.
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| like my pants are on fire |
One day at a time, one step at a time, I am trying to focus on the things that are most important to me: trying to be a better mother, a more loving and present wife, a good friend and sister. Balancing my own individual and personal needs and desires (which include running and taking care of myself) with those of the ones I love.
I love my Believe I Am journal because it is so much more than just a training log. It is a workbook of sorts, a place where I can spill my thoughts and come face to face with what matters most to me, figure out WHY it is important to me and chart a course towards achieving and maybe even surpassing my dreams. In ALL areas of my life. With running, with my family, with my career and my passions, with my mental and emotional and physical health.
The goal setting page of this journal is where a lot of this began to happen for me. We are given three “flowers” to set and work through our goals on. The center of the flower is the goal, the petals are the steps you need to take to achieve them and the leaves are the reasons for your goals.
I set three goals for myself:
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| Believe I Am: A STRONG RUNNER |
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| Believe I Am: A GOOD WIFE & MOTHER |
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| Believe I Am: WORTH IT |
This simple exercise opened me up to much of what is in my heart. It is helping me to be so much more self aware, to see so clearly what is important to me and why. It is very honestly helping me to set a path towards being the best version of myself and to believing in myself.
There is no end to this journey, and that is part of what makes life so beautiful. Opportunities exist all around us to seek more joy and love and passion in our lives. It is my hope that I will live a long, long time and that I will forever be grateful for where I am, yet forever growing.
Do you set goals for yourself outside of running and chart your course towards achieving them? Have you ever used a Believe I Am journal before?
