Summer Goal

I recently made a goal to myself to do something that I had not planned on doing, every day for the summer (June through August). I am only one and a half weeks in, but so far, it’s been an adventure that I didn’t expect. A lot of people have asked me why I made this goal for myself, and I have to be completely honest: I am a naturally lazy person. Given the opportunity, I will veg-out during any free time that I have, and the time will slip by without me having done anything. I’ve discovered that by maintaining my goal, not only to I experience some pretty unforgettable things, but I also keep myself busy and engaged. I feel like I have accomplished something worthwhile and that keeps the negative thoughts, such as being lazy and stagnant, at bay.

Here are some things that I have done, and insights that I’ve gained by doing them.

1.        Made a cold pasta salad from scratch: I’ve never really done this before and it was a bit intimidating. But the outcome was delicious and I gained a lot of confidence in my “if it sounds good, throw it in” method of cooking.

2.        Acted as an extra in a movie: one of my high-school friends works on production, and put a call-out on Facebook. Now, to understand this one, I developed stage-fright in high school and the very act of being in a large crowd stresses me out. Still, I decided to bite the bullet and go. To my surprise, I had a blast, and would happily do it again if given the opportunity.

3.        Decided to indulge in a little retail therapy: I don’t usually shop for myself unless I really need something, so this was a little out of the box for me. But I ended up with some pretty additions to my wardrobe and a few trinkets that I had wanted for a while.

4.        Made the acquaintance of no less than three of my neighbors: again, I am not the bravest person when it comes to socializing, so this was an accomplishment.

5.        Wrote a blog post about something that angered me: I am usually someone who privately rants about things, but I am very careful about what I post on the internet. However, the tragedy in Orlando, and some peoples’ responses to it, infuriated me enough to post a blog entry (of course, it was under another blog, but it sure helped me get rid of those negative feelings). 

6.        Tried a new restaurant: I went with my co-workers and have decided that it is somewhere I need to go again. It was not a place that I would normally visit, so I am glad that they convinced me to go!

7.       Spent the day running around in heels: To clarify, I’ve done this before, and learned my lesson. So why do it again? Well, that’s where the un-planned part of my goal came in. I had planned on being able to sit for most of the day (I was in a career class). Unfortunately, the people in charge of the class failed to inform us that a majority of the day would be spent running between different rooms or on our feet while doing work. Surprisingly enough, my feet didn’t feel bad the next day…maybe I’m getting used to it?

There were other things, of course, but these are the most notable. Sometimes it will be as small as cooking dinner or completing a household chore when I didn’t plan on it. Other times, it might be even bigger than being an extra in a movie. Who knows? But one thing that I can say is that I feel a lot more satisfied and fulfilled when the day ends, than I would if I had done nothing at all.

And that is what matters!

~*~Rebekah~*~