It was about a week ago when I realized I wasn’t going to make my goal for the month. There was no way. I had allowed myself to get too busy to prioritize self-care and too distracted to care. Seven days left of the month and 23 miles left to crush. Along with those unwalked miles, I realized that I had allowed the stress to overtake me. I had lost track of my goals, blown off my morning routine, failed to focus on the things for which I am grateful.
Was it any wonder my back hurt, or that I was sleeping poorly and snapping at the people I love the most?
I know I’m not alone. Every month, a handful of 99 Walks Pack Members share their disappointment and frustration when they don’t make their goal and don’t #earn their Wearable Inspiration. Sometimes it is due to injury or illness or a work conflict or compelling family obligation. Or sometimes, like me, they just got pulled off track. Distracted or depressed. Too busy and too stressed.
This month, for the first time in more than a year, I am right there with them. Day after day, I told myself the next day I would get out and walk. Day after day, I found a reason not to. Yep, even me.
I will not add this month’s bracelet to my personal collection as we don’t send Wearable Inspiration to Pack Members — no matter how valid the reason — that didn’t crush their goal.
But wait, you might cry, it wasn’t my fault! I sprained my ankle, was scheduled for 10 days of double shifts, got sick or encountered any one of a dozen roadblocks that were not my fault.
We believe you. But we still won’t send you the month’s Wearable Inspiration.
Here’s why. Getting off track is inevitable. Inevitable. Things will get in your way. You will veer off course. And when you do, the single most important thing is how quickly you recover and move forward. Your resilience.
Resilience is one of the most important indicators of success, a key to maintaining mental health, and a critical tool in stress management. And while some people might be naturally more resilient than others, your resilience is a skill that can be improved.
Many of us suffer from an “all or nothing” mentality. We convince ourselves that skipping one walk, eating one cupcake, or failing to crush one goal means it is time to throw in the towel and give up. It doesn’t. What we need to learn is how to get back on course as soon as possible.
So we don’t send Wearable Inspiration to Pack Members who do not crush their goals. Not because we don’t love you and not because we don’t understand that sometimes life gets in the way. In fact, it is precisely because we love you and understand that sometimes life gets in the way. We want to encourage you to break the habit of all or nothing. We want you to flex your resilience muscle and discover that you can get back up and try again.
Tomorrow, I will start my day with my Goalpost notebook and my morning routine. I will once again prioritize joy and self care. I will walk even when I think I am “too busy” or don’t feel like it because I know — as a fact — that I will feel better, stronger, happier, more productive, and less stressed when I do. And I will teach myself that when I fall down, I simply need to stand back up and try again.