Here’s something new.
For the past three years of my life, I have been chronicling my goals on this blog. My grocery goals, my Disney goals, every week I sit down at my computer and I reflect on the ongoing journey of achieving my dreams. I celebrate victories and I try to find a silver lining when things don’t go my way. A friend once said to me, “I don’t know how you share so easily with strangers.” I told her it was easy. And for the most part, it really truly was.
Not today, pals. Today is not the easy day. And it’s very clear to me why. All the times I’ve shared before this, all the times I’ve been close to a goal but not quite there, the silver lining was so clear, so almost within reach that I knew it was only a matter of time. If you shoot for the moon and you miss, you’re still among the stars kind of deal.
Last week, I said my step goal was going to be to do more steps each day than the week prior. I wasn’t going to go all crazy and be like, “1000 more steps a day, hit it!” I wasn’t even shooting for the moon. I was barely shooting for the stars. Let’s say I was shooting for air just a few feet away from my head. I was shooting for a balloon’s length of distance.
And I failed. Boy, did I fail.
I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves here.
Week 5 vs Week 6
- Monday: Jan 27th: 5,058 vs Feb 3rd: 2,976
- Tuesday: Jan 28th: 4,727 vs Feb 4th: 4,342
- Wednesday: Jan 29th: 5,465 vs Feb 5th: 5,487
- Thursday: Jan 30th: 4,869 vs Feb 6th: 3,690
- Friday: Jan 31st: 9,631 vs Feb 7th: 8,423
- Saturday: Feb 1st: 3,211 vs Feb 8th: 3,644
- Sunday: Feb 2nd: 7,167 vs Feb 9th: 5,079
Weekly Step Goal: 35,000
Total Steps: Week 5: 40,128 vs Week 6: 33,641
Best Day: Arguably, Saturday. It was one of only two days where I did more steps than the week before. But other day, Wednesday, I only got an additional 22 steps, while Saturday I got an additional 433 steps.
Not only did I not meet my goal of doing more steps each day of the week, I didn’t even meet my minimum goal of 35,000. Oof what a dark day.
What happened, you may ask? Well, the Teacup is teething HARD. She’s got a teething cold and her mouth hurts and she is not one to suffer in silence. She’s been up every night from about 12 am to 3 am. And guess who’s been up with her?
It’s been hard enough to keep upright, let alone do a YouTube fitness video. We live in the Midwest and it’s cold, y’all. So I can’t exactly take my snotty nose, rage teething baby for a walk in the freezing temperatures. I did manage to make it to the gym but I was so tired, all I wanted to do was nap on my exercise ball.
If I were looking for a silver lining, and I guess I am because some habits are hard to break, I could say that I at least next week I know I’ll do better because I really can’t do much worse. Yay?
While I’m still doing all my daily core and weight things, those aren’t the star of the show. After all, I’ll be WALKING through Disney, not crunching my way through.
Which reminds me! Speaking of at home things you can do that are low impact but effective: right now I am super into wall push ups. I am in NO WAY a fitness professional, so feel free to Google this. Here’s how I do it: Place your hands shoulder width against on a wall. Your body should be arms length from the wall. Push into the wall, bending at the arm, in the exact same way you would do a pushup on the floor. If you want to go for extra resistance, try going towards the wall quickly, and pushing away from it slowly. Or towards the wall slowly and away quickly. Pick your poison. I like these because I can do them while doing other things: catching a quick show, watching my daughter dance to “Into the Unknown” for the umpteenth time, or waiting for the turkey burgers to cook. Again, while I am in ABSOLUTELY NO WAY a fitness professional, this is a move we do at my cardio and weights class that transfers really well to home.
So that’s what I’m offering up today: a little bit of failure, with a good at home toning exercise. My goal for next week will be the same: do more steps each day than I did the week before. And I know I said no silver lining, but maybe I was wrong on that. I’m really grateful that I get to go on this journey with you guys, that there’s a place where I can share my triumphs and my challenges. Admitting I didn’t do as well as I hoped wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Thanks for reading and cheering me on! I hope your week was a fitness success. I’m rooting for you!
What do you do when you don’t hit your goal? Do you modify the goal or try again? Do you like a good wall push up? Or are you going crazy with regular pushups? Let’s compare notes in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!
