Talk About Setbacks: My Foot Is Broken!

We’re halfway through the year, so we are revisiting the goals we set at the beginning of the year. As I mentioned last week, I injured my left foot in May, throwing a monkey-wrench in my goal to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday. Over the next three weeks following the injury, I was ultra careful with my left foot. When I was able to walk normally, I did lower-than-low impact aerobics and I severely modified my boot camp workouts with my trainers. May 23 came and went, not without a 40th birthday bash thrown by my Sole Sisters. I did not reach my goal and I was discouraged. I realized that I didn’t reach it because I quit. I didn’t make it because I got injured. I was not working out anywhere close to my potential, I thought by now I should be feeling better. After a month of babysitting my foot I decided to finally get an X-ray.

Guess what happened? My foot was BROKEN! I am now wearing a big ugly boot on my foot. (I did bedazzle it with rhinestones to make myself feel better about it.) I am out of commission and have to heal completely. I have had to learn how to say and spell the word SLOW. One of my employees said it best: “Who took the batteries out of the Energizer Bunny?” This is exactly how I feel.

I set a goal, I had a plan, I had cheerleaders, I achieved success and I had a setback. These are all common things that can happen to all of us when setting goals. As we revisit our goals and review them, we have to be aware that life happens and sometimes we experience setbacks. Sometimes we can lose sight of the goal and get off task. Here is what I want you to remember about goals as we get back on track.

• Set a realistic goal: Set a goal that you can achieve. Reach for a goal outside of your comfort zone. We have all been told that the sky is the limit, but reaching the sky may not be reasonable at his time.

• Setting a goal: Ask yourself: How much? Of what? By when? Set and write down what you are going to achieve. How much? Have a number set. Of what? What you want to achieve. By when? Set a date; give yourself an end date, a timeline.

• Confirm it: Say it out loud and write it down — make the commitment! Start your day by reminding yourself of your goals. Daily affirmations help you to keep the goal in mind.

• Get a cheerleader: Tell someone about your goals and ask them to check in with you often. This can be a coworker, salon owner, or friend. This helps you to become accountable and stay on target.

• Track your progress: Follow up with tracking your success. How do you know how far you have come if you’re not measuring? Track your numbers daily or weekly. If you don’t look at the numbers, how will we know that you are achieving results? The numbers don’t lie; they are an accurate measurement.

• Celebrate: Celebrate your successes along the way. Observe each mark along the way. Commemorate the first benchmark, circle the halfway point, count down to the end number. Just because you haven’t hit the entire goal yet, doesn’t mean you haven’t had success.

• Setbacks: We all experience them, just get back on task. Review the goal, the plan and the numbers. Get back on track with tracking and remind yourself of the success that you have achieved along the way.

In June, I lost two more pounds, totaling 38 pounds and I achieved a size 6. I am excited to get back on track. I have returned to boot camp, doing a very modified upper body and core workout. No running or Jazzercise until I am completely healed. I should make a full recovery and reach my goal eventually. I have been celebrating my successes along the way. Reaching goals with a plan of action, whether it’s professional or personal — one more way to help you stand out above the rest and become the BEST!

— Jill