“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end” – Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
After I graduated from college, I left my consistent training days behind me. Not necessarily because I wanted to, but because I thought that was what grownups do, unless you were and Olympic Athlete or in the pros. I got married and my four children kept me moving.
I was determined to keep them moving and learning as they grew, but that was it, until we found karate. I put my daughter in a class to give her some socialization, because I homeschooled my children. It was a challenge to sit on the side and draw stick people to help her when we go home, so I decided I would start taking karate class with my daughter just so I could help her when she was home at the start of the new year.
As time went by, I began to love martial arts, and stretched out my wings. I competed and won three state championships, I became a sensei, so did my children. Every day we went to class, practiced, trained, and taught children and women how to protect themselves, together. Little did I know that making that decision would create a major dynamic in our household that would define a large part of our life as a family.
My entire family learned and taught karate together. I cannot tell you what it meant to spend that time learning and teaching alongside my children. A decision I made to just be there for my daughter started me on a journey that changed and enriched my life. Never did I imagine the result would be that I would participate in kumite’s, become a 3rd degree blackbelt and help so many people, while having so many years of joy doing it!!
When we set goals, we are often so focused on the result that we do not realize the journey is a major part and is just as important as the goal itself. As you can see my goal was simple, but it kept changing as I moved forward to reaching a new goal. The everyday progress was as small as just attending class, practicing 10mins every day, learning a new Japanese term daily.
The key to not focusing on the result is creating a roadmap or a compass that will serve as directions to get to our destination. When we went on a trip, we planned the route, we used to look at maps, now technology has given us GPS to help get us there. It is through the journey that we gradually make changes to get our result. On the way to a destination, we make stops at self-confidence, knowledge of our strengths/weaknesses, determination, resilience, and enjoyment.
I like to use these categories as a guide for goal making. You can use anything for your New Year’s Resolution. These are in no order, but all things in our life need balance. An example is a table, when our legs are well balanced, we can stack more responsibility onto the table without it falling. Let us imagine each category is a leg on a table and if one or more legs is lacking you will not have a stable table!
- Self-Care
- Spiritual
- Health
- Wealth
- Love
- Knowledge
- Travel
- Community
To summarize, our goals should be SMART, but broken down into small pitstops to show us how we can get to the destination. Who you become while on the way to your destination is just as important as the end. Using a roadmap or compass will give you so many little accomplishments that motivate you to continue your path. Choosing where you start is not as important as STARTING!!! Come join me on our journey to health and wellness. Embrace, Excel and Defy!!! While you Give Life Your ALL!! (Appreciate, Love and Live Life!!). You can also find me on FB @stephaniewhittenfitness
