Little Life Goals

I think often in life we get far too wrapped up in all the drama (i.e. the 5 pound winter weight gain, the guy who just wants to be "friends", the coworker you butt heads with, the "eh" job) that we forget what the whole purpose of life is; that is to be happy and enjoy it to the fullest.

I know for me, when things aren't going too well, I beat myself up and it's hard for me to see the positive light at the end of the tunnel. Instead I turn into this negative monster, where I think everything's bad when in reality it's not. In fact, it's not at all. My life is splendid really.

Take last week for example. I got so down on myself all because things weren't working out in my love life, and the job I hold isn't my "dream job", so instead of working at it, I instead got fed up and turned into Miss Negative Nancy.

But, that's not who I am. I am no negative Nancy. I never have been. So why lately have I been so damn hard on myself? I've realized these past couple of months, I started letting what other people think of me affect me so much, that I was losing sight of me, the me I love. Is he going to call? What am I doing wrong? Why doesn't he like me? Why am I still working this job? I went to college for God sakes. Ugh, I gained 3 pounds. How could I let this happen? I was doing so well. I am sure many of you have thought similar thoughts, nasty, ugly cruel thoughts about yourself.

Well, throw them out! That's what I did.

Suddenly, I took a big, solid look at my life, and realized I was acting like a crazy person, a person I myself didn't even like. That's when I realized what happened. I lost sight of the little goals I used to have for myself, the little tiny inspirations that drove me to keep working at it, and keep doing my thing. This may sound funny, but in college I liked having assignments and essays and midterms (to a certain degree of course) because it made me work at something, and I in turn felt productive. After all, I was going to college to get my degree in journalism to in time become a magazine writer. This was what drove me, the little goals I worked toward.

Lately, I had been losing sight of all these dreams, so I decided to make a change, and start having little itty bitty "life goals" to work toward. No, they don't have to be anything dramatic, but rather simple little things that you can incorporate into your every day life. Pissed at yourself for gaining weight? Well, don't throw yourself a pity party. Maybe start running or walking a little bit every day to make you feel good about yourself inside and out. Angry about your love life or lack there of? Start focusing on you and your confidence and passions, and in time everything else will come.

Take my list for example. It's nothing drastic. It includes little things like going for an a.m. run before work each day (for clarity not weight loss), drinking more water for energy and cleansing, cutting out coffee in the afternoon and switching to tea for tranquility, doing yoga once a week for my mind, taking more day trips in Boston (to used Bookstores, museums, etc) for diversity and culture and continuing the hunt for my dream job...and never quitting.

This may seem silly, but this list helps me focus on me, not the cute guy, the not-so-good part time job or any other outside distractions. And since the list, voila, I've become a much more happier, cleansed person. It's like I had this epiphany overnight. I suggest if any of you are in the same boat, you go ahead and make your self a LBL (Little, Big List) that is a little list that goes a long way, and watch as your happiness levels rise. Go ahead, jump for joy! You are amazing, sexy, powerful, and beautiful. Yes, you really are.