Disclaimer: This post is wordier than most of my usual rants, and I get a little deep. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Hey there internet friends. Hopefully if you’re living in the northeastern sector of the US of A you are armed with working air conditioning and lots of frozen treats, because it is scorching out there. I really need to work on that whole “find a BFF with a pool and endless supply of wine” plan. It would also be great if that friend didn’t resemble Gisele Bundchen in any way, because that’s just not good for anyone’s self-esteem. I don’t ask for a lot.

So I’ve been a busy little beaver lately, still really enjoying the new job and still trying to figure out a realistic workout schedule. I’m almost out of Groupon yoga classes and rapidly approaching a decision of whether I want to pay my first born child to belong to a studio. I’ve done a few On Demand at-home workouts, but still prefer having someone push me in person. (Side note: the Bethenny Frankel Skinny Girl workout on Comcast On Demand is no joke. It seriously kicked my ass and I’m thinking of ordering the DVD for the whole workout. Anyone have it and care to weigh in with some reviews?) Speaking of yoga, much like a few of my beloved SW‘s, I’m really inspired by Rachel’s 31 day yoga challenge, and I think right now it’s actually a realistic concept. At the advice of Dr. Oz, I’ve been doing a few sun salutations every morning to kick-start my metabolism, and I have to say, it really does put me in a much better state of mind to start the day. I don’t know if it’s the deep breathing or it’s just getting my blood circulating, but I’m definitely going to keep it going and maybe even work to a more intense practice. I’ve also officially dropped my gym membership, so this would certainly help me stay motivated. I’ve managed to keep it up for the last 4 days, but I’ll let you know how it progresses…

Anyways, what I really wanted to talk about today was brought to my attention in a sales training I attended yesterday. It was one of the best professional training sessions I have ever attended (and I’ve been through a lot of them), but what I think really spoke to me the loudest was the concept of defining your vision. I think we all feel like we have some sort of vision, but I for one, have never been very good about committing to it. Sure I know that I want to be happy and healthy and successful, but what is it exactly that drives me? I’m so easily caught up in life’s distractions and excuses that I tend to lose sight of what I really want. I’ve never been into meditation (I’m way too ADD for that) but I think there’s a lot to be said for devoting some time either once a day, once a week, or just on an as-needed basis, to really focus on your goals and what you’re doing to make them happen. Whenever I actually take the time to really visualize and reflect on what it is I want, I almost always feel an immediate shift. I’m more motivated and resilient to bumps in the road. It’s easier to let go and leave negative thoughts and feelings behind you, and turn your eyes towards what lies ahead.

The speaker mentioned that when you want something bad enough, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s only natural to fall victim to things like fear and laziness. But, what if I fail? I hate change. I don’t feel like working harder. Aren’t things good enough the way they are? These voices are the distractions that flood my mind and become the road blocks to my goals. But yesterday something clicked for me. I decided that, starting now, I’m going to start working towards my vision and really commit to it. I know it won’t happen overnight, and it certainly won’t be easy. But as I get older, the realization that you have to work for the things you want in life becomes clearer every day, along with the fact that no one’s going to do it for me. And I know there will be times when I take a leap of faith and fall flat on my face, or maybe I’ll land on my feet. But you never know if you don’t take a chance. Even at 29 I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to take risks, and more often than not, you won’t regret it. Except that time I tried to bring back overalls. That one didn’t pan out so well.