We hiked up Sweeney Creek to the spring this past May, and although we ran into snow on the trail and had a storm move in on us, we had some lovely views and enjoyed our trek in the mountains. :) Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably, but when I examine the roles they play in my own life, I find there is an important distinction between the two. I see dreams as the big picture of what you want to do and where you want to be, and goals as the milestones along the way that keep you on course. We need to have both. If you don't have dreams, how will you know where you're going and what direction to take? If you don't have goals along the way, how will you get there? So go ahead and dream up the big pictures of where you want to go -- then set goals to aim for those dreams. As you conquer your goals, you will find yourself achieving your dreams. :) Because of the rain on our way in, my camera was staying safe and dry in my pack most of the time. Therefore, most of these pictures were taken the next day after the rain had stopped and the sun was out. Canyon Creek is a fairly rough trail with many rocks and tree roots in the path, plenty of up and down, and this time of year lots of water, mud, and muck to deal with. The last portion gets quite steep for the most part, with water running over rocks in the almost non-existent trail on much of it, and sections of snow that hadn't melted off yet. Because it rained most of our way in, everything was quite wet, making many of the rocks extra slippery. When we arrived at the lake, in addition to being rainy, it was also very windy. It wasn't an ideal combination with the lowering temps (it was quickly heading from a high around 46 degrees Fahrenheit towards a predicted low of 34), so we crossed the snowfield and found a little spot to camp out of the direct wind. At camp the wind still got pretty gusty at times, but it wasn't nearly as windy as it had been at the lake, and it wasn't constant. We set up the tents in the rain, got a fire going and cooked supper in the dark, changed to dry clothes and snuggled in to stay warm and dry while it rained and blew through most of the night. Morning came and the rain changed to snow for just a bit while we had breakfast. The clouds eventually cleared and the sun came out, giving us a chance to dry out our wet backpacks and clothing from our hike in. We had nice sunshine without rain the rest of the time, which allowed for some picture taking and beautiful views of the lake, as well as making the hike out more enjoyable. :) While I have to admit that a few parts of this trip weren't quite what I would consider ideal, I did have a lot of fun. We'll definitely have to do this again sometime when it's not raining, so we can camp next to the lake and enjoy hanging out there a bit more. :) SCHEDULE IT.
You gotta make time for it. If you wait to find the time when it's convenient, it simply won't happen very often. Something always gets in the way. You need to schedule it and make it a priority. For me, that means making it a habit with scheduling it into my daily routine at a certain time. For one of my clients, it means scheduling it on her calendar on certain days at a specified time. It doesn't matter how you go about it, as long as you schedule it and make it a "must-do". MAKE IT A ROUTINE. Routines are something you do on a regular basis, whether that be daily, every other day, weekly, etc. Find what works for you, and then stick with it. If you do something enough times at the designated time you have scheduled for it, it will become routine and you won't really have to even think about it. You just do it whether or not you feel like it. What you feel like doesn't even come into the equation. DEVELOP CONSISTENCY. I have found that establishing good routines is the best way to develop consistency. But you gotta stick with your routine on a regular basis. Keep your routine going long enough, and you will develop consistency. Then when you must take a break for something unavoidable, you will be wanting to get right back to it as soon as possible. MAKING REGULAR PROGRESS. Consistency is what pays off in the form of making regular progress. Keep at it and you will be able to look back and see the amazing progress all of those little bits on a regular basis added up to. It doesn't happen overnight, but if you stay consistent, you will be able to see your progress, which will motivate you all the more to keep going. If what you have been doing hasn't been getting you to where you want to be, then give it a try. Schedule it. Make it a routine. Develop consistency. Make regular progress. :)
Because the brush was too thick, there wasn't anywhere to easily get off the trail to go around him at a safe distance or to wait for him to pass us by. We also didn't know if it might be a female with cubs nearby. Cubs or no cubs, I didn't want to chance having a confrontation with any bear, so we made the decision to head back and come again another day. Play it safe and let the bear have the trail this time. :)
Here's the cold, hard truth in black and white: most people don't achieve the success they are looking for because they don't want it bad enough. There is a whole smorgasbord of excuses to choose from for why we can't reach our dreams, but what it really comes down to most of the time is: not wanting it bad enough to do whatever it takes to get us where we want to be. ... bad enough to not quit? ... bad enough to keep going when the going gets tough?... really tough? ... bad enough to find a way around your obstacles? ... bad enough to give up your excuses and find a way? ... bad enough to overcome your fears, doubts, and insecurities? ... bad enough to go against the status quo in your circle of friends? ... bad enough to ignore the naysayers in your life (including yourself) and believe you can do it? ... bad enough to do what you don't want to do when you don't feel like doing it? ... bad enough to fight your inner self to persevere and keep going when you don't think you can? ... bad enough to decide it's worth the fight? Count the cost... it's gonna take a lot... and it won't always be easy... but you can do it! |
authorNikki Weiss follow by emailcategories
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fitness, hiking, + weight loss coach
fitness groupLet me help you get "out here", too. I will soon be offering a hiking related fitness group with coaching and support for getting in shape and getting out in the outdoors more. Stay tuned. :)
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