7 Day Challenge

I am easy to remember the number of mistakes I’ve made, and get judgmental about my failures. Well, that is never helpful.

Game On

Today, I am not inviting you to join a triathlon race, but to set some short-term goals.

Last week, I learned a 20+-year-old lupie friend called Valentina, who just rode 800km in 20 days across Uruguay. Yep, that’s what I call an achievement.

Valentina inspired me with her amazing story, which will be shared in one of the upcoming blogs. That said, I want to encourage all of us to follow her steps, and:

• Identify what we want to achieve
• Invest time in the emotional and physical preparation
• Be ready to overcome challenges as they come, without giving up

Valentina was fierce pursuing her dream. She already had the mindset of a winner and worked for years before embracing this adventure.

Challenge

 “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

 We can’t control things, and we don’t have time to plan during an emergency; rather, we need to know beforehand what needs to be done and be ready for it. Well, Lupus, as an autoimmune disease, can take us by surprise at any time, anywhere.

So, for the next 7 days, let’s apply the pragmatism of one of the greatest generals of all times into probably the biggest challenge of our lives, and see how it works.

Note, the purpose of this effort is to set a reasonable goal, learn our limits and be proud of our accomplishments. Don’t overdo, and promise yourself to respect you as you are.

Ready – Set – Go

1. Set 1-3 goals for the day, every morning. Make a list of 3 wins by the end of each day

• Picture what you want your day to be. Write it down on a piece of paper
• Be aware of what you want to achieve and write down how it will benefit you
• Picture yourself reaching your goals. How do you feel? Proudful, happy, relieved, empowered, stronger?

2. Respect your limits. Develop endurance

• Know your cap, and respect it, but remember, a challenge is only a challenge if requires effort
• Begin small, and slowly increase your target
• Mind the journey. Be aware of how you feel during the whole process. Acknowledge your fears, emotions and what your body is telling you

3. Engage your superpowers

• Invite beloved ones to help you, even superheroes need a hand!
• Be brave and kind to yourself. No comparison to others, this is only about you
• Learn something new every day

Be grateful

“Count your blessings, not your crosses. Count your gains, not your losses.” – [Proverb]

 Any positive mindset change is a win, and any win is progress towards the end goal. Cheer each step forward!

Counting our blessings and gains can help us achieve a bigger task, such as walk a little longer, eat healthier, rest more, use electronics less, you name it!

Look for ideas on how to make yourself a better you and celebrate your accomplishments. Our success is to increase the quality and love in our lives and around us.

If you feel like sharing your ideas, please do! I want to know more about you, as well!

Are you ready to join me?

Yours truly,

Hope

“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight — it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”- Dwight D. Eisenhower