Striving and Setbacks

This year I set some pretty high personal and professional goals. With all the striving came setbacks, and I thought I’d share a few with you. Granted, the year is still young, so who knows what the rest of 2017 will bring? I’m pushing hard for my goals no matter what!

 

 

Striving for:

Consistency with my weight.

Last December I added two healthy habits: exercising and drinking a fruit and veggie smoothie every weekday. By March I knew these two wonderful additions would not be enough to get me back on track with my weight. The sad truth? I’ve gained fifteen pounds in three years. I simply cannot continue to gain weight at that rate and maintain my health. Soooo…I resumed tracking my food using the MyFitnessPal app. I also set a daily calorie range for myself. It’s made a huge difference. I’ve lost nine pounds so far, but I’m realistic. I know I will have to continue tracking the food I eat for a long, long time. If I don’t, I immediately eat more, hence the fifteen pounds!

Setback:

In April, I had a down week where I felt physically and emotionally depleted. My eating habits and activity suffered. Thankfully, I didn’t let it throw me into I-might-as-well-quit mode. I just kept tracking my food and told myself I’d get back into my exercise routine the next week. Yeah, I gained a pound that week, but no biggie. It’s the long haul that matters.

Striving for:

Fast drafting a novel while releasing my first nonfiction book and setting up promotion for my upcoming novel.

The release of GAME ON: THE CHRISTIAN PARENTS’ SPORTS SURVIVAL GUIDE involved new-to-me tasks and was more time-consuming than I anticipated. I was able to write and revise a contracted proposal during the release, and once the proposal was finished, I attacked the promotion for my May release.

Setback:

Once the proposal was finished, I planned on writing the rest of the book quickly. However, two weeks of unexpected opportunities and appointments killed my writing plans. I still added to my word count, but it wasn’t even close to my original goal. Thankfully, I’d built a sizable cushion into my deadline for the full manuscript. The draft doesn’t have to be finished early. However, if I finish it soon, I can turn my attention to a new project. That’s incentive enough for me!

Striving for:

Increasing my audience through my social media platforms, including my newsletter.

For two months I did very well gathering and sharing content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and my blog. I also hosted two month-long giveaways (one is still going on now, so be sure to sign up! The entry form is at the bottom of this post).

Setback:

Given my time constraints in April and May, I had to step back from my social media efforts to focus on writing and my family. The home life won’t be as busy in a few weeks, so I’ll be able to spend more time on social media again.

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The thing about striving? You’re going to have setbacks. Period. But setbacks can’t make you quit. If you just keep pushing through–even if you take time off–and continue chipping away at your goal, well, you win! It’s vital to constantly remind yourself that you can succeed. You will succeed. It won’t be easy. Striving for something better, something more, is never easy. Just keep regrouping and trying until you meet your goal. I have an Inner Beauty Pinterest board with tons of motivational quotes to keep me inspired. Feel free to go over there and pin any quotes that will help you!

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I have two giveaways going on right now!

My Hometown Hero’s Redemption prize package is still open! Enter below. (US only)

 

 

I’m giving away three signed copies of Hometown Hero’s Redemption on Goodreads, too! Here’s the form.

 

 

How do you handle setbacks?

Happy early Mother’s Day! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!