Hello Everyone,
You've probably heard this over and over, "There are many ways to measure success."
Trust me, just because that saying is over used, it doesn't make it any less true. With all the hurdles I want to jump, there are many little milestones to look forward to.
I never been much of a 'numbers' guy. In Geocaching, some of the people that play are out to get their number of finds' as-high-as-they-can as-fast-as-they-can. At first, I was seeking out geocaches on a regular basis to get to 1000 finds. Once I hit that milestone, I slowed down quite a bit. I am no longer just look for geocaches to increase my numbers, but look for geocaches that will take me to places I have never been to before. I have discovered parks and trails I never knew existed and I can honestly say that I would never have sought them out without playing this game.
One of reasons I want to geocache Route 66 is not only to increase my numbers, but I want to see where these caches will take me. So far, as I research geocaches in Illinois along Route 66, most of them seem like they will take me to some pretty cool historical landmarks.
So what are some 'measurements' I plan on looking forward to seeing as I jump some of my self imposed hurdles?
One, is my belt. I am at the very last hole on my belt. I know I could go out and buy a bigger belt, but that feels like cheating a bit. I'd rather spend money on clothes (and belts) for a smaller body than for one that has been expanding in the last couple of years.
Along with using belt holes as milestone markers, getting back into some clothes that I have set aside, that have become too tight to wear, is another way to measure my progress. As my clothes started to fit tighter and tighter, as I was gaining weight, I'd put them into a stack of in a corner of my closet. My original goal was to donate that clothing to the local second hand store. Now that I look at pile of clothes, perhaps reducing that pile, as I lose weight, can also be a milestone.
I know using the scale is a way to measure my progress (by the way, I am now down to 301 pounds) but I don't want to be a slave to a scale. Here is a quick rundown of some other milestone markers I'd like to use....
- Quick losing my breath so easily after exercising or working (Remember, I am a funeral director. Can you guess why I might physically exert myself a work?) or geoaching...
- Reduce my need for acid reflux medicine...
- Make sure my knees and hips don't give out me when I get older (by the way, I'm going to be 48 years old soon)...
- Just plain feel better...
I am sure other milestones will come along the way as time goes on. What are some of your milestones you want to see happen (or have seen) as you jump (or jumped) over hurdles in your life? I'd love to hear what got to say. Free feel to leave a comment. If you click the title of this blog, I believe that will take you to the comment section. If that doesn't work for you, feel free to email me at richhavlik@gmail.com
New Hurdle Time!!!!!
If you have read the previous blogs, I mentioned that I have some goals I want to work on as I prepare myself to Geocache and Explore Route 66. There are; Quit Smoking, Quit Drinking Pop, Start Working Out, and Eat Better.
I also mentioned that I was going to randomly select these goals to work on. Late last July, Start Working Out was picked. I have been going to the gym or exercising at least twice a week.
Well, it's time to reveal what was randomly picked to work on next.......drumroll please
Quit Smoking!!!!
This is going to be my biggest and hardest challenge, but the carrot (Route 66) is big. To reward myself for doing this, I am going to set up a regular daily deposit of money into a saving account.
That amount? The cost of a pack of cigarettes.
Which is? The average cost is over $7.50 a pack. For cleaner accounting purposes, I am going to round that number up to $8 a pack.
How much do I smoke? About a pack a day. So my daily transfer of money will be $8 a day.
A friend of mine on Facebook has an app that tracks on how many cigarettes that they haven't smoked and how much money they saved by not smoking. I'll be looking for this app as well and if I can, I'll post my milestones regularly here.
I know that's a 'numbers' thing, but outside of feeling better, there isn't much else in terms of measuring my success here. Plus, the daily deposit of money is going to be crucial in my Route 66 travels.
One thing I have said in the past about Geocaching and Exploring Route 66 is that I plan on starting my journey in Chicago and go until I run our of time or money, then head home. Then pick up where I left off the next year. I have a feeling that this journey is going to take years to finish, but I have many milestone to look forward to as well. And that is a Great thing!
