Set Your Spring Goals!

Ahhhh, springtime. After what has felt like the coldest, snowiest, and ugliest winter, it feels so good to say, "Spring has sprung." For many, spring signifies a time of change. I mean, I don't think we need spring to make changes, anytime is a good time to start! But you want to make changes this spring, then now is the perfect time to start and set your goals.

Change is great. It's a time to grow and set goals.

I took a Soul Cycle class this afternoon, and the instructor talked about how we are already making the effort to change our bodies by coming to class. He then asked, "what do you want to change about your life? Go make that change."

I like to make goals at the beginning of a new season, the beginning of the month... and not big, huge goals. Usually something that is doable, but something I've struggled with in the past. For example, in January I pledged to drink more water (because I'm always dehydrated), in February I set a goal to focus more on toning, and in March I promised myself I wouldn't get so obsessive compulsive over getting in a workout 6 days a week. School's really tough right now, and that needs to be my priority. If I skip a morning workout because I was up late studying, c'est la vie! I can deal.

Your goals don't have to be fitness related. It could be anything for your well being. Maybe you want to give up something that no longer serves you? Maybe you always wanted to start a blog and haven't yet? Want to learn how to play an instrument? You should go an do all those things you want to do, and start by making small goals.

When I set goals for myself, I first reflect on what I'm happy with and most thankful for in my life. It's important to remember the things you are thankful for! Write them down. You'll smile at your list.

Then I think about the things I want or need to change.  Something I know I can change. What do you need to change about your life?

My goals for spring aren't fitness related. My goal is basically to survive grad school.

For the first time in forever (Frozen reference, whaddup) I'm having difficulty with school. Most of my life, a lot of subjects in school came naturally to me, especially when I dove into speech pathology. Working with kids and all that school-based language stuff just clicks in my head. Except this semester, I'm interning in a hospital. I don't hate it, I don't dislike it... I actually am surprised that I like it.  But it doesn't come naturally to me like working with kids does. I struggle with the fast paced environment, the lack of a regimen and lesson plans, and the fact that the setting is a lot sadder than an elementary school.

This part of speech pathology isn't my calling. But I want to learn! I still find all of it fascinating. So how can I get better at this? Here are my goals:

1) I will be more organized with my data and note taking. I'm fixing this by getting a bigger notebook (I was using a pocket sized one because it fit in my scrubs but now it's just annoying and my notes are EVERYWHERE) and bring my laptop in to type up my evaluations. I'm just more efficient at typing things- my thoughts are clearer and it's easier to make edits than handwriting.

2) I am STUDYING THE CRAP out of my informal evaluations. Any eval that I did in an elementary school, I know like the back of my hand. I figured those tests out right away. But this hospital stuff? Not clicking in my noggin. Why? I don't know. I guess it's just harder for me to get because I don't feel like this is my calling. I know what I need to do, and I need to be more efficient at giving evaluations in the hospital setting.

3) I'll keep being happy Gabby. I've come to realize my personality is a lot different than the doctors, nurses, and staff at the hospital. My "happy teacher voice" comes out all the time and I have to fight the urge to high five patients for swallowing their puree. I JUST WANT TO GIVE OUT STICKERS AGAIN. But I won't change who I am in the hospital. A lot of my patients love me, and I know that because they've told me. I'm gonna toot my own horn for a second and say I'm a breath of fresh air in the hospital.  Sometimes when I do something wrong though, I beat myself up over it. Like how I was saying with the evals. I get so mad at myself when I screw those up. I'm gonna stop getting MAD and start learning from my mistakes! I will not sit and cry. I will just get better.

I'm currently visualizing myself as Elle Woods in that scene in Legally Blonde when she's studying on the treadmill and like being all smart, and raising her hand in class and making Vivian look like a stupid betch. I like it.

Well, Elle... change is gonna be a little hard. But if things weren't hard, they wouldn't matter, right?

And I'm so sorry for getting all "year 2000 Live Journal" on you, but I kinda needed an outlet for how I was feeling about change in myself. It's also helpful to hear someone else is going through something, so if anyone needed someone to relate to, here I am. I'm fighting my own personal battle as well.

Set a small goal... one small goal today... and challenge yourself this spring. You got this :)

The Thigh Gap Debacle

Incase you missed it, a Target photoshop fail went VIRAL this past week, showing a botched photoshop job on a beautiful model's arms and thighs.

The Internet learned of the fail when blogger, Cassey Ho, certified fitness instructor & creator of Blogilates and POP Pilates, posted about the photoshopped model while she was checking out Target's swimsuits. Soon enough, the story was on several other blogs and websites, including the Huffington Post.

Look! What a cute swimsuit! I'm loving the style of this top... but wait, let's zoom in.

I spy three wrong things here. #1... why is one arm drastically skinnier than the other arm?

#2 I don't know what happened to this girl's hoo-ha... but ouch. I didn't know box shaped vaginas were in!

#3 There is a dagger coming out of her armpit. That is... painful.

Why, why, WHY is this beautiful girl's body being decimated?!

Because for a while now, the world has become obsessed with thigh gaps and bikini bridges.

As we white girls in America say... "Staaaahp, I caaaaaaaaaaaaaaan't."

When I saw the blog post on Cassey Ho's website, this was the reaction I posted on my Facebook:

"Having a thigh gap doesn't make you pretty. Having a good heart and self confidence does."

Like, WHAT, TELL ME WHAT, is so desirable about a thigh gap?! Do ya need a breeze between your legs? No. No you don't.

And really, back to Target for a second, WHO THE HECK was hired to do that photoshop job? Lately the Internet has been taking a stand to battle Eating Disorders. It's great to see some companies taking a stand and wanting to make a change. This is what happens when you search "thinspo" on Pinterest.

Heck yeah, Pinterest. Good job!

Everyone in America knows, and loves, Target. I can't go in there without spending an entire paycheck. It's sad to see such a big, influential company using their power to CHANGE a woman's body in such a negative way. This bathing suit was from the Junior's department, meaning young girls were looking at this model thinking, "wow, look at her body. I want to look like that." Notice I'm using past tense? Target removed the model and swimsuit from their website.

Here's the moral of the story:

Box shaped vaginas are painful, so are daggers coming out of your armpits, and thigh gaps are not a sign of beauty. If you do or don't have a gap between your thighs, it doesn't matter. What makes a person beautiful is being caring, loving, and kind. I find girls with self confidence and a kind heart to be the prettiest. It's those girls, in my opinion, that shine.