Little Steps

I find it hard to set long-term goals that cannot be broken down into smaller, more manageable periods wherein gratification is easily attained. I set checkpoints to serve as motivations to push myself forward towards that long-awaited finish line. Making smaller goals out of a much bigger one is easier, since there will always be some more room for improvement, or some slack if the going gets tough.

Take my conquest to attain a healthy weight, for example. I've been underweight for almost all my life, as I have let my lanky genes decide my outer appearance. At a little over six feet tall, I weigh only about 130lbs -- about ten pounds underweight. I've been trying to gain weight ever since I knew I was unhealthily skinny, but always remained at that weight. What happened was if ever I would gain a few pounds, I would slack off too much and lose all that hard-gained weight. However, during the past few weeks, I decided to break my goal into smaller parts working toward the same, bigger goal. Now, my goal is to at least maintain whatever weight I gain, and so far, I'm doing well. With determination and discipline, I have gained at least eight pounds in six weeks, and maintaining it. I've grown a little on my waist, but I definitely feel stronger due to the effort I place in strength training.

With this experience, I have learned "how to dream properly", for the lack of a better term. It's no use to rush goals to completion, because what matters in the road to one's victories is the journey, and not reaching the top itself. For me, a goal is truly a victory if when I look back, I'll see all the small defeats, wins, and lessons that I have experienced.