Saturday, August 6, 2011

Pick one thing..and do it WELL!

Hello Everyone!!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful summer. I apologize for my lack of posts and updates this summer. I have been staying very busy the past few months.  There have been lots of obstacles that have been pushing me back which have resulted in a new plan to follow. My summer has been filled many wonderful things such as spending time with my family, having the opportunity to work out at Gold's Gym{aka my second home...I LOVE it there), and visiting my college town a few times. On the other hand, my car died, i'm not getting as much as work this summer as I was hoping for, and I have been having a lot of medical problems the past 3 months that made me realize that I only have one body and putting my health first is the most important thing I can do if I want all of my dreams and goals to become a reality.

I made the decision that I am not going to commit to doing another competition anytime soon. I plan on taking a good year off at least so my body can regain strength. As much as I love being on stage, it is not worth it to me to put my body through so much to continuously do regional level shows when qualified for nationals after my first show.  I learned the hard way that dieting for 22 weeks and doing 3 consecutive shows was not a very nice thing to do to my body. I was in my own world and only focused on my fitness goals so I was not able to how my choices were going to impact my future.

Looking back on the past year, one of my professors said it best when he told me to, "Pick one thing, and do it well." He sat down with me and listened to my hopes and dreams and was very impressed by my drive and passion. He also made me realize that I am a college student right now, so therefore I need to make sure my priorities are straight. If I want to shoot for the stars in the fitness world, then I should go ahead and do that, however if I want to do well in school I should really put my energy into that. If i put the same burning desire I have in the gym as I did in learning I could do the impossible with my knowledge. I agree completely with everything he said and I am now looking back on it as a good lesson learned.

I would never take back this past year, but I know that I did some things that I wish I would have done differently.This past year I lived and breathed training and prepping for my upcoming competitions. I barely saw any of my friends or family, and I wasn't willing to make time for something if it was going to take away from my training. All of my goals on my "goal wall" were fitness oriented with nothing else in mind. I did not think there was anything else to life, and I shut out the rest of the world. I know I can do the unthinkable and I shouldn't put all my eggs in one basket when the sky is the limit.

In doing Gopher State, Fox Cities Showdown, and MN State this spring, I gained a lot at each show whether it was more experience learning how to get my body where I need it, being on stage, or making lasting memories with new friends backstage. I am so happy I was able to accomplish so much this year, and I am very proud of myself for being able to manage a full course load in college, working multiple jobs, and being able to place top 3 at each of the shows.

With my final year of college approaching at the end of the month it will be time for me to create another "goal wall" to hang up while I reside at school. I am going to keep my health at the top of the list, making sure I kill it in the gym everyday and get my meals in, but I am going to make sure that I also kick ass in school. I will graduate Spring 2012 with a major in elementary education and a minor in environmental education. I want to open more doors for myself so the thought of grad school is in the back of my mind. I have a lot of energy and passion and I want to change lives. I believe I can do more than I would be able to inside the four walls of a classroom. I would really like to study health, fitness, and nutrition so I can combine it with helping children who are obese. Obesity is a rapidly growing problem in America, and I want to find solutions to help those children in need. I know that I can make a difference, so now the wheels inside my head are turning for the next big step.

As far as my competition schedule goes, I am going to keep training and making the changes that I want to see before doing another show. I will do either Junior Nationals or USA'S as long as I am still qualified when I feel that I am ready. I really want to work on adding some size to my upper body and improving all around as a competitor as well. Even though I am not going to set foot on stage for a while, that does not take away from the fact that I am still going to be going in the gym everyday with the desire to succeed. I will stay healthy and get all of my meals in so that I can be ready to come back with unannounced with a BANG! :) This new plan is NOT me taking the easy way out....it is simply me adding new goals to the list that require a plan B :)

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer and I will be sure to update as school is approaching. I am looking forward another year. This year is going to be even more amazing because I now have my best friend there to share the journey with me. No one can make me smile or laugh the way you do, Mitch:)) Counting down the days to see you again <3

Stay tuned for what's next :)) Have yourself a beautiful day!
<3 SJ xo

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