Yay, I made it, the Social Media Challenge is over. WooHoo.
I have been committed to writing a blog post five days a week for the last 30 days. Seemed simple enough, I’ve been told that I never run out of things to say. Yet, this has been a very daunting task.
When I started writing last year, I was very scheduled to make sure that I didn’t have any problems getting the task at hand done. I made sure that I had no distractions, didn’t overload myself, spread out the editing, writing, extras, over the week. All seemed to flow nicely. I got into a nice rhythm and was pretty happy with both my commitment and the results from it. When I started the challenge, however, that all got thrown out the window. I was writing every day which meant it was also brainstorming everyday, editing every day, researching every day, finding images and quotes every day, and then posting to the site everyday. I was totally unprepared for the large task. Yet, even though I was really overwhelmed, I DID IT. I can’t believe that I really did it. Now What????
Now that the challenge is officially completed I kind of feel lazy. I am not panicked about ideas. I can actually think about something else other than “what should I write about”. I am finding it tough to get back into the two day a week thing. Has this little challenge changed me? Have I turned to ‘the dark side’ and now can consider myself a writer? Nah!!!
Let’s face it, I have challenged myself before.
- It was just as daunting when I made a commitment to myself and my husband to go the gym on a regular basis.
- It was just as daunting when I chose to rethink the way I was cooking meals for the family.
- It was just as daunting to choose to limit my alcohol,
- switch from cow’s milk,
- start counting carbs,
- calories,
- sodium.
- It was just as daunting to start to hike, run, or walk stairs on non-gym days.
I survived that didn’t I? Oh, right, I did. But, I never went back either.
Once I challenged myself to do something different, I guess if I was honest with myself, I never went back to the old me. Sure, I have weekends of careless eating. Sure, I have days where I don’t go out for a run. Sure, I have days when I really want a big plate of macaroni and cheese for dinner followed up with chips and salsa in an hour. But, I go right back to what I know is best for me.
- I really love that feeling of the workout being done.
- I love the feeling of my lungs burning on cold running mornings.
- I love the feeling of seeing old friends and not being embarrassed at what size I am.
- I hate the feeling of being bloated by food.
- I hate making excuses to myself and others.
- I never regret getting a workout in.
The new me is just that, the new me. I don’t think I will ever be the sloth that I was before. I think I am going to enjoy learning about nutrition and exercise for a long time. I love that I can keep up with my kids, even going for a walk. I love that they still have things to learn from me. I love that at 50 years old, I am still learning and growing. I used to think 50 was ancient, and if I hadn’t changed the way I was living, I would have been ancient.
So, thanks Jonathan Christian for the Social Media Challenge. You have rocked my world more than you know.
Now, what shall I challenge myself with next???
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory. - George S. Patton
