Goals

I am grateful to have some amazing people in my life. Over the weekend I had a discussion about my current and future goals and achievements. It had really prompted me to think about the person I am, how I have grown and the kind of person I strive to be. Although initially we were talking about exercise (or lack thereof on my part), I branched my thoughts out.

Weight management
This was what started the discussion. I had briefly mentioned that since my coursework was out of the way and I had more time to work on my thesis (aka not stay ridiculous hours at uni or at the hospital finishing assignments) tha I could go back to the gym. However as life would have it, other things started taking priority over exercise. I still did something big every sunday, which I had allocated as my exercise day. This could range from hitting the thousand steps at the Dandenong Ranges or going for a 2km swim or a walk/run around the neighbourhood. It seems measly but it was a start. Since I have been comfortable in this routine I haven’t been pushing myself as hard throughout the week, making up excuses like ‘I’m too tired’ or ‘I have too much work to do’ (the latter usually resulting in watching an episode of Bones…).

Since I had no clear goal or motivation to go to the gym everyday like I used to, I was content with doing something once a week. Reviewing the activities that I partake and things that I enjoy, I made a huge realisation. I hate going to the gym! I would much rather participate in a sport like rock climbing or going on nature trail hikes than be in an enclosed space working out on machines. Obviously these outdoorsy adventures do rely on good consistent weather (which unfortunately Melbourne seems to be lacking in that department). Also, for things such as rock climbing, they are ridiculously expensive!

Although I do enjoy these things, I think my goal is to maintain my current weight, but keep active. I aim to do this by reducing my sitting time and increasing incidental exercise throughout the day. I’ll park further away so I get those few extra minutes of walking and I’ll walk over to someone’s office rather than dropping a line. And if I do manage to get home early I will try to go for a walk/run before I sit down for dinner. I’ll aim to do that once during a weekday. It’s not much but it’s a start.

Diet
Lately I have been eating out a fair bit. Eating out doesn’t necessarily provide you with the healthiest food options. And since I’ve started doing camps I’ve picked up a bad habit of drinking Diet Coke (I used to avoid soft drink like the plague). So my aim in the diet department is to watch my portion sizes (as I tend to be greedy and order a large meal due to value), have more vegies and meat and choose healthier options when available.

Another thing I am aiming to do, which ties in nicely with my next point is to start counting my carbs properly and regulating my insulin doses appropriately. That way I only eat what I feel is adequate for me and not go too high or too low because I haven’t bothered to count my carbs and give myself the set amount of insulin.

Diabetes management
Diet and exercise in combination will help my diabetes management. Even though my HbA1c was excellent upon my last visit, a lot has changed since then and it feels like my control is slipping. So I’m currently getting a referral to see a private endocrinologist to ge ta second opinion as well as aiming to get my daily BGLs under 10.

Career
Career wise I feel like I am on the right track – doing the right things to further myself and I’m really happy with the things I have accomplished before and especially in the last 6 months. It’s all very exciting!

Blog
This ties in with the point above. An aim of this blog is to share my story of living with diabetes. It’s a fantastic way to reach out to people and for me personally, it’s a good reference to be able to read back to my first post and go ‘wow…look how far I’ve come!’

Friendship
Many people come and go in our lives and there are some who leave a lasting impact on your life. These people I don’t let go very easily. I have to admit I have been tardy because of uni and other excuses that I have not kept in touch with some of my close friends. Now I’m starting to make time to spend it with close friends.

Life
At the moment, reflecting back on everything, life is pretty sweet. Making these small goals are the next step for me to achieve. Suddenly all the workshops I have attended in goal setting and making SMART goals are coming in handy! Another tip I have learned from my musical director from the Western Region Concert Band is that making realistic goals are the most important motivation tool you can have. Picture having a sudden motivation spurt and you decide to practice ever day to get better, when you miss a day, you feel like you’ve failed and it’s so easy to give up after that. Hence I’m making small goals and working them up to larger more sustainable ones while making subtle changes to my lifestyle!