Success

“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”
~ Mark Victor Hansen

I came across this quote this morning and I really liked it, it fits right in with what I have been thinking about success. So this is my thought: I think that success is doing your personal best and having the drive to stick to your goals long enough to make a difference.

I have struggled since I quit working with feelings of inadequacy, fear, and anxiety for various reasons. We don't always manage our money the best. I spend too much time on the phone or computer. I don't keep my house as clean as I would like. I don't do "projects" with the kids. I don't work with them on their letters as much as I would like.

When I was working, I was successful. I mean you know, not like business woman on wall street successful, but GOOD at my job. Then when I quit working it was totally the opposite. At first I felt like I wasn't contributing (which I wasn't monetarily) and I felt guilty if I wanted to spend money on me. I am pretty much over that part of it, however I feel like I am not very good at staying at home my house is never clean enough, I am fat, the laundry is never done, the kids watch too much tv, blah blah blah. When you are working in a job, you have a set of tasks and expectations when those expectations are met, you have success. Not so with being a stay at home mom. The tasks are a work in progress not a finish line to be reached.

So, we are thinking about sucess. What would success look like to me? Is it a perfectly clean house? Because I could have that I am sure. For me that would come at too high of a cost. For me I would have to spend most of my time cleaning. Cleaning and cooking, cleaning and cooking. The kids wouldn't get read to as much, they would watch more tv, they wouldn't do as many fun projects or outings. Is it losing weight? Not strictly. I want to enjoy eating, be able to enjoy friends and family, love the flavors of the food I eat. I don't want to eat dry chicken and protein bars alone in the quest to lose weight.

So, I think that for me, in this stage of my life this is the definintion of sucess:

Working toward my goals, balancing my priorities, being concious of myself, while doing my personal best each day and sticking with my plan long enough to attain my goals.

Let's face it, some days my personal best is laying on the floor watching the kids play and eating m&m's. And I think that's OK. What makes the difference is what the next day looks like. Does it spiral into, "Oh well, I already screwed my diet so I am going to eat fast food and chips and regular soda" Or do you say, "Yesterday I took a day for myself because that was the best I could do yesterday. But today is a whole new day and I can make better choices." If you make better choices and don't spiral into depression and eating it's success.

I started thinking about this because I wanted to come up with a magic number that would mean I had succeeded in weight loss. The thing is that I don't know. My first goal is to be under 200 pounds and that will be SUCCESS! But I won't be done. Weight loss will be a lifelong journey for me. Even if I feel happy at 175 pounds or 160 or 150, I will have to be conscious of it forever. It's just the way I am. I have to balance my love of food with my health. And that will be success.

So, for today for now, I am succeeding. I would love to hear what the rest of you think about this!