The "F" Word

Yep, I said it! The "F" word is most definitely one of the dirtiest words ever!!  No, not that "F" word, the word failure.
Why didn't I start that new lifestyle change today?
Why didn't I try that new workout video today?
Why didn't I write down my goals today?
Why haven't I set goals for myself at all?
The answer to all of the questions is fear.  Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have a fear of failure.  If we set goals, then we are suddenly going to be held accountable to ourself, and possibly others.  That is a very scary concept, because we don't want to fail.
I think one of the most important factors in whether or not you will succeed is your definition of failure.  I made the decision that I was going to quit smoking, so I posted it on facebook.  I sure did not want to have to admit to everyone on facebook that I had failed!  Two days into being a non-smoker, I had a really bad day; I bought a pack of cigarettes, smoked two cigarettes then poured water over the rest of the pack and threw them in the trash.  I was thinking that if they were wet, I would not dig them out of the trash.  It would have been really easy at that point to continue smoking, what did I have to lose, I had already failed.  This is the point where your definition of failing is important.  My goal was to go from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, to being a non-smoker.  So I had to make the decision that by smoking those two cigarettes, I had not failed, I had simply hit a bump in the road of success.  I was only going to be a failure if I allowed myself to give up on my goal, which I didn't.  I am not trying to make this sound like it is easy, it isn't.  I have to give a lot of credit to my support system.  Hearing the words, 'You can do this' and 'I am so proud of you' made a huge difference for me.  You guys know who you are, and I love and appreciate you more than you know.
The same concepts apply to losing weight or exercising.  Just because you give in and binge on something you know isn't healthy, you are not a failure unless you choose to be.  Just because you have skipped a couple of days of exercising, you are not a failure unless you choose to be.  Sometimes the bumps in the road will be so small that you can easily step over them, but sometimes they will be so difficult to get over that you may have to crawl.  Just remember that crawling is better than stopping.
We didn't go to the circus yesterday because apparently I forgot how to read and the circus is next weekend.  Had a wonderful time at the ballgame last night.  My girls made some super cute cheerleaders.  We have had a lot of fun having Kimber here and I think she has had fun too.  I am now going to crawl my lazy butt to the basement and put in some treadmill time.