Jennifer Russo

Most of us set goals in our lives. Whether it be to lose 30 pounds, buy a new car, quit some bad habit, save money, be more kind or something else that is important for us to achieve, there is always something we want to get to. Why is it then, that these goals are sometimes so hard for us to realize? Why is it that so many of us give up before we get there – a lack of willpower?

The answer is no. The more I consider it, the more I realize it is not that we lose the passion for the goal. It’s not simply that we lose the will to achieve it. More often than not, it is because we lose faith in the goal because we are discouraged in one way or another along the way. Let’s take weight loss for instance. We try some new trendy diet we find in the hopes that we will get to this goal of losing 30 pounds. We lose 22 pounds and then for some reason can’t manage to lose more even though we didn’t change anything. So…we get upset and give up and go back to old habits.

Perhaps we want to save for a trip we have always been wanting to take and we are so close to having the money we need to buy a ticket. Then our car dies and we must spend most of it to take care of that. We somehow allow this to get into our head, believing we just can’t make it happen.

For me, it is publishing a book I have been working on. I work on it here and there and then my life gets hectic. My son started football and now that takes 3-4 nights a week. I get migraines so that wipes me out and I can’t do it then. Add a new and extremely demanding job to the mix and well, I may as well just give up on this whole idea because I am just never going to get it done…right? Nope.

Let’s change our focus. You have the goal, whatever it is. So that diet didn’t work…try something else. So, you had to spend trip money on something…what else can you do to save a little more than you were to get there faster? If we can change our thinking that there is more than one way to get there, and be totally okay with that, we are less likely to get discouraged and let it go. Focus on the goal, how much you want it, and you will find a way.

Pose of the Month: Side Plank
I chose this pose because it a difficult one for me, but I accomplish it in my own way. From a standard plank pose, shift onto the outside edge of your foot so that your legs are stacked. Raise your arm toward the ceiling as you turn your torso to face the wall. Your whole body should now be facing one side as you balance on one straight arm. Do this on the other side as well. This pose promotes balance while strengthening the arms and core.