Happy New Year everyone!  Today is January 11, 2016 and it's the first day of our Spring Semester here at Truman State.  It's also day one of my personal "Road to 50" Campaign.

This is an initiative I have been thinking about for months.  I knew that this month I would rotate off of the CFCC at ASHA.  I knew I would have some additional "time" on my hands and I am also very aware that in a mere 18 months I will be (gulp) 50 years old!!

 

 

Hey, I've done some pretty cool things in my first 50 years.  I graduated from high school and college (twice).  I landed my dream job, married a great guy and gave birth to two extremely awesome boys.  I have served as president of our National Professional State Association and have been privileged to be able to serve at the national level as well.  I'm not done there.  The ULTIMATE goal of my professional life is to serve as the ASHA president.  (But that's a blog for another time).

Speaking of participating at the national level professionally, that didn't just "happen."  Several years ago I was sitting in my friend Janet's office and I was griping to her that I kept trying to be selected for this or that at ASHA (our national professional association) and that I was routinely turned down for an appointment.  I remember telling her that I was planning on just giving up and I'll never forget what she said.  Her pitch got REALLY high (it did---ask her), and she said "MISSY, you CAN'T just QUIT!!  You NEVER QUIT on your goals.  I TOTALLY support you in this endeavor.  KEEP TRYING"  (So I did)  And then, over the next few years I began to watch her.  Janet ALWAYS has a goal.  Really-------ALWAYS.  This is a woman who has risen to be the dean of our school, has completed numerous marathons, triathlons and an Iron Man competition.  She was president of our local school board, has three children and is married to a successful dentist.  Her most recent goal??  To gain overall body strength.  She's serious about this too----she flexed for me last week when we had a girls' night out.

When I began to plan my Road to 50 Campaign (abbreviated RD250) I knew she was the first person I wanted to "highlight" in my online journey.  I asked her a few questions about goals since she was my inspiration for never giving up on my professional goals.  Here is what she said when asked:

What was your first real goal?

I always had goals growing up - athletic, academic, music goals. I've always been REALLY competitive. I remember having the goal of raising enough money to go on my class trip to Washington D.C. in 7th grade. The first "real" goal I remember though was to be President of my sorority. I remember pledging Gamma Phi Beta my freshman year at KU. I loved it and everything about it. I said when I pledged, I will be President of Gamma Phi my senior year and I was.

 Why do you think routinely setting new goals is important?

If you don't set goals, there's no way you will accomplish as much as you are capable of. I get "itchy" when I don't have a goal. More important than setting new goals is OWNING them. You have to articulate them OUT LOUD! The more people you tell you are going to do X, Y or Z, the more likely you are to do it.

 What are some common pitfalls to achieving ones goals?

You have to aim high, but be realistic and you can't be afraid of failure. There's no way you are going to accomplish all of your goals - we're human. You have to be able to accept failure and reframe it into something positive. The thing about a goal is you set it, you work toward it, and even if you don't achieve it, you've still accomplished something.  For example, you set a goal to run a marathon in under 4 hours. You train. Race day comes and you run the race and you finish in 4 hours and 2 minutes. You didn't accomplish your goal BUT you still ran a marathon in 4 hours and 2 minutes! If you didn't have the goal, you wouldn't have even the run the race.

 What is your advice on turning 50?

It's not how I view turning 50 it's how I view "finishing" 49. I will view 49 as another year I've lived, learned and loved. I will view 50 as the opportunity to do something I haven't yet done. I have sworn that I will never say in reference to my performance/progress on anything "not bad for 50" (or for any other year for that matter)! For example, when people ask me about my running or my competing in triathlons, or how I'm doing in my career, or just how I feel in general, I will NEVER say "not bad for 50". That's just not good enough.

 

Thanks so much Janet for being willing to be my first "guest" contributor in my RD250 campaign!

 

 

So, here's the deal.  In the next 18 months I will be writing about my own personal journey in rejuvenating my mind, body and spirit as I approach this milestone age.  My path will include visits (and blogs!) with a wellness coach, an orthodontist (say what??!!), a physical therapist, a personal trainer, my phone-a-friend dietician, my "stylist" and my friends in my bible study/book club as well as "the girls" that I routinely hang with. 

I have NO idea where this journey will take me.  I DO know that by age 50 I have a goal to be "different" in some healthy-like, well-rounded way.  We shall see.  At the end I plan to gather my entire family up and head off somewhere to celebrate.  Road-trip vacation somewhere fun--------Can't wait! 

Until next time I will say that my husband texted me today and told me I have 519 days left until I turn 50.  He wants a RD250 tee shirt.  I may have to make that one of my goals.  Stay tuned!