GOOOOOOOAAAAAL!!!

Having a goal or goals in our lives are the things that seem to motivate many of us.  I’ve made goals from trying not to eat sugar to getting to the point where I could run a certain distance, or climb to the top of a mountain, to graduating from college.  Some goals are much easier to attain than others and some goals are quite the lofty challenge.  I reached a goal the other day.  For most people it wouldn’t have been considered of noble heights or anything grand, but for me, it was like reaching the top of a big mountain. 

Back in early December my husband said to me, “Laurie, I can’t remember a day in our marriage where you didn’t hurt yourself or have some sort of incident.”  Hmmm, seriously Brian?  After almost 25 years of marriage you can’t remember one day?  He rattled off many of my accidents and incidents and he could have gone on for hours.  Wow, he did have a point.  I hurt myself or have some weird thing happen to me for many of the days of my life.  We just kind of chuckled and laughed it off. Until Christmas day.

There was a gift under the tree that appeared to be a thin book wrapped in pretty wrapping paper.  Oh what would the book be?  Would it be a book of photos?  Would it be a book of poems?  Would it be love letters bound in a book written from my husband?  I slowly, and with anticipation, opened it up and it was……..an incident board.  My husband had covered a white board with the necessary information and left white spots for me to write on and erase for the days I had “issues.”  My family wanted me to track my accidents and incidents.  Well I thought it was a very cleaver and creative gift.  Christmas Day was the day to begin proving my family wrong.  I was not as accident-prone as everyone thought I was.  It’s like the old saying that everyone remembers the negative things and not the good things.  What about all of the days I don’t hurt myself?  Well bring it on because I was going to be counting them!

Christmas Day proceeded without incident as I proudly hung my incident board on the refrigerator.  Every morning after taking the dog out I would, with joy, erase the previous day marker and put in another number.  My friends, I went 15 days without an incident.  15 days!!! My family was stunned.  I know you are wondering and asking the question, “What was the thing that caused the number to go back to zero?”  As my husband sit here and ponder that, we can’t remember.  His response is that it was probably a cut, a break, a burn, something goofy I said to someone or making someone cry (and no I don’t make people cry).   I put the number back to zero that day and started right away to reach my goal of getting beyond that 15 days.  I’ll be honest that there were a few days in there that I had to put -1 or even one day -3 but I did not give up.

I am proud to say that this past Monday April 20 I reached my goal of getting past 15 days without hurting myself.  What a celebration! My husband and daughter were shocked.  I sent a message to my boys on Facebook in which some of my friends read.  One of my friends was happy but commented that maybe my family should now consider wrapping me up in bubble wrap. Do you think she meant to save me from myself?  No, I believe she was just wanting me to reach a bigger and better goal of 30, maybe 40 days!  She’s always got my back. J  Regardless, I am now at 19 days accident and incident free.  I reached a goal on Monday and on Tuesday…..and on Wednesday, Thursday and yes, today.  What will tomorrow bring?  It’s hard to say.  Tonight I have to go out into the world and it’s hard to say what can happen.  All I know is that this week each day I was able to yell, like they do at the soccer games:  G-O-O-O-O-A-A-A-A-LLLL!

Do you have a goal?  Whether it big or small think of something that will motivate you to be better.  There’s nothing like the feeling of reaching and surpassing what you have made your goal to be.