A non-numbers gal focused on the numbers
I'm not a numbers person. That line is a bit cliche among many journalists (meteorologists and business reporters excluded). But it's true. I always did well in math, but I did not enjoy it. I preferred reading and writing. Yet today, I realized I'm fixated on a couple numbers.
Weight. First of all, this may come as a surprise to viewers who often think I'm bigger, but I don't weigh a ton. I struggled last year after I stopped breastfeeding and I went up to a size 6 in a few pants. Typically I'm a 4 or a 2. That said, the holidays and hormonal changes seemed to increase the number I saw on the scale. I was getting back into a workout routine, but I wasn't eating as well as I used to. I've recently changed that, and I've seen some good results. But I'm rarely satisfied, and I've been set on dropping lower than my pre-children weight. It's only a few pounds. My husband reminds me, it has nothing to do with the number. He's right. I know he's right, but yet I'm fixated on a number. Goals are good, but why does the number matter in my mind? It doesn't.
Better goals:
feel refreshed after a workout
increase energy to better enjoy the kids, my husband and dog
workout to limit stress at work
eat healthier because I truly enjoy healthy foods and learning new recipes
cook healthier so the kids learn food can be good for us and taste good
heck, I'll even include: feel good when I put on a bathing suit for our upcoming trip
So I'm making a change. I put a piece of tape on my scale. It reads, "Do you feel good?" Next time I instinctively think to weigh myself, I'm going to see those words and think about them. If the answer is no, I'm going to do at least one thing that day to change my answer. I want to start every single day with yes. If not yes, then, "better than I did before."
I mentioned there are a couple numbers I'm fixated on. The other? You guessed it.
Age. I'm not someone who hates my age. I think I'm in a good place in life, however, lately my age and my upcoming birthday have me thinking about a lot of things. It's not a big birthday. It's a run-of-the-mill age. 38. There I said it. But I've been midlife crisising a bit. I know that's not a verb, but it should be. It's an odd age. I still have plenty of life to live, but I'm keenly aware that I'm still young enough to make major changes. I'm worried this will sound like I'm about to announce a big career move or something - I promise, I'm not. I just want to be real. And real me is always thinking about what's next and how schedules and careers fit into family life. I let the number dictate too much though. I let the number allow me to worry instead of brainstorm and make plans.
Nope, no more. I'm not a numbers person. I'm a thinker. A doer. A motivated mom. A hard-working employee. A loving wife. I'm someone best described by words. You are too.
Weight. First of all, this may come as a surprise to viewers who often think I'm bigger, but I don't weigh a ton. I struggled last year after I stopped breastfeeding and I went up to a size 6 in a few pants. Typically I'm a 4 or a 2. That said, the holidays and hormonal changes seemed to increase the number I saw on the scale. I was getting back into a workout routine, but I wasn't eating as well as I used to. I've recently changed that, and I've seen some good results. But I'm rarely satisfied, and I've been set on dropping lower than my pre-children weight. It's only a few pounds. My husband reminds me, it has nothing to do with the number. He's right. I know he's right, but yet I'm fixated on a number. Goals are good, but why does the number matter in my mind? It doesn't.
Better goals:
feel refreshed after a workout
increase energy to better enjoy the kids, my husband and dog
workout to limit stress at work
eat healthier because I truly enjoy healthy foods and learning new recipes
cook healthier so the kids learn food can be good for us and taste good
heck, I'll even include: feel good when I put on a bathing suit for our upcoming trip
So I'm making a change. I put a piece of tape on my scale. It reads, "Do you feel good?" Next time I instinctively think to weigh myself, I'm going to see those words and think about them. If the answer is no, I'm going to do at least one thing that day to change my answer. I want to start every single day with yes. If not yes, then, "better than I did before."
I mentioned there are a couple numbers I'm fixated on. The other? You guessed it.
Age. I'm not someone who hates my age. I think I'm in a good place in life, however, lately my age and my upcoming birthday have me thinking about a lot of things. It's not a big birthday. It's a run-of-the-mill age. 38. There I said it. But I've been midlife crisising a bit. I know that's not a verb, but it should be. It's an odd age. I still have plenty of life to live, but I'm keenly aware that I'm still young enough to make major changes. I'm worried this will sound like I'm about to announce a big career move or something - I promise, I'm not. I just want to be real. And real me is always thinking about what's next and how schedules and careers fit into family life. I let the number dictate too much though. I let the number allow me to worry instead of brainstorm and make plans.
Nope, no more. I'm not a numbers person. I'm a thinker. A doer. A motivated mom. A hard-working employee. A loving wife. I'm someone best described by words. You are too.
