Achievements

As 2018 draws to a close, I take this opportunity to look back on a year which has just flown by. 
  

Looking back on all the pictures I have taken this year, it is mad to think that 2018 is almost over. It only feels like yesterday that I was saying goodbye to 2017. 

In 2017 I secured my first full-time job after finishing university and I’m happy to say that I’ve managed to keep hold of that job for a whole year! I started out as a little grad in a daunting corporate world and now, even though I often think of myself as still adjusting to full-time life, I’ve become comfortable and confident enough to incorporate my creativity into the documents that I write. 

2018 has been full of milestones. After suffering with vasovagal syncope for a number of years, a heart monitor was placed in my chest to measure my heart rate for irregularities. In 2018, I finally got the OK to remove that monitor. So following some truly horrific surgery, I now no longer have to worry about walking through a metal detector at the airport!

  

In January, I decided to join my local gym as part of the usual ‘new year, new me’ nonsense. Yet after a month I was already bored. That was until my mum invited me to join her on a Saturday partner workout at her new CrossFit gym. During that cold, wet and painful workout, I never would have thought that CrossFit would become my new found love. But it did and I thank god every day that my mum asked me to come with her because now I can’t imagine not spending my evenings and weekends with my amazing CrossFit family. Through joining CrossFit Consilium, I have made some really special friendships and not to mention a beautiful and supportive group of wonderful people. I even got the chance to compete in my first ever CrossFit competition which was all kinds of fun, so much so I’ve signed myself up for two more in the upcoming months. 

My world was turned upside down with the arrival of our little puppy! She came into our lives in March and we haven’t looked back since. As she is our first dog, it took a while to get accustomed to the crying through the night, the early mornings and letting her off the lead but as she curls up to me now, I forget about all that and question life before her. It is like having a little baby!

2018 has also thrown a few little curveballs and speedbumps along the way. With injuries, illnesses and not to forget the odd argument here and there, I’m not afraid to say that I sort of lost myself somewhere along the line. Yet with the help of supportive family and friends, as well as exercise and my CrossFit community, I soon got back to being myself. 

I visited Dubai in October with my best friend which is something I had been waiting to do for ages. The trip was amazing and to just sit around a pool with good company and even better food was just what the doctor ordered. I hope to do a bit more travelling next year, even if it is just exploring what the UK has to offer! 

Over the past few months, I have achieved some of the most amazing things. Goals I had set back in January and little unexpected milestones along the way. I managed to run my first half marathon in under three hours and row a half marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support, in which our gym raised over £5k. 

Goal setting is a great way for me to keep myself motivated when things get tough or I take my eye off the ball. But there are more benefits of goal setting than just our achievements.

Positive Psychlopedia references a 15-year study of over 3,500 people which found that those with clear-cut life goals, didn’t give up and took risks were the happiest. It is proven that when we are focused towards achieving a goal, our physical health improves. We increase our well-being when we make progress towards our goals, as well as increasing our life satisfaction. 

Having specific and achievable goals is a powerful thing because it makes us feel motivated and confident with everyday life and with taking on new challenges.

Being one of Ben Bergeron’s biggest fans, I have noticed that during his podcasts he often makes reference to fixed and growth mindsets. He continually emphasises the importance of changing the way we think to make sure we are always thinking in a positive and growing manner. That doesn’t just mean in terms of striving for more, it is about how we react to certain setbacks and issues. If you have a fixed mindset, problems are more likely to snowball and become impossible to overcome. 

With a growth mindset, you tend to have a more positive outlook on setbacks, with them becoming obstacles to help you grow and stay motivated. Ben speaks about how much people really want something and how hard they will work to achieve it. A fixed mindset will let any obstacle become the end point of your journey, whereas growth will ensure any obstacle becomes minor in the whole grand scheme of things. 

Those with a growth mindset often tend to perform better in a wide variety of domains as it propels us to look at what we can do and what we can improve on. Having a fixed outlook makes constructive feedback uninteresting and invaluable, encouraging a lack of ambition to improve our weaknesses.

So when we achieve something that we have worked so hard for, it’s no wonder we feel a huge amount of pride and relief. To know that the one goal we have been focusing on for so long, the one goal that has undoubtedly at some point looked unachievable and impossible, has finally become an achievement is a feeling unlike no other.

So as I start to write my list of goals for 2019, I encourage you to do the same. They don’t all have to be huge goals, they can be as simple as making a packed lunch for work every day. But whatever your goals are for the coming year, ensure they are achievable and 2019 will be your year! 

And before I forget, merry Christmas and a happy new year!