The Olympics: Self Improvement 101

I LoVe the Olympics. I'm excited they're on. I enjoy Summer better than Winter but I still like to watch the Winter too. Summer Olympics means:

Swimming

Diving

Gymnastics

Beach Volleyball

Baseball

Soccer

But my favorites are usually what everyone elses favorites are: SwImMiNg and GyMnAsTiCs. :) I like swimming better because it's absolute. You start the race, you end the race, if you were ahead of the other person you won. In Gymnastics it's judges and I don't feel they're always fair. This is besides my point. What I always gain from the Olympics is that these are (usually) young people that have accomplished so much in their short time here. They have worked hard and devoted hours upon hours to this one thing. Sometimes I feel inadequate compared to them, but now I'm taking a different approach. I'm learning from them. If I want something bad enough I'm going to have to work for it...and work for it hard. They might have had talent to begin with but they didn't get where they're at by relying purely on that...they put in time and effort. They sacrifice so much for their dreams.

Here are some of the dreams I'm willing to work harder for:

*Writing a novel.

I've had a short story that I've wanted to extend into a novel for quite sometime. I think it's time that I stop talking about wanting to write a novel and actually do it. I'm sure it will be a long hard process but I'm willing to take the time for it. I don't expect it to be a master piece but it will be MY masterpiece.

*Getting into shape

I have lost some weight since the start of college but I need to do more. I need to eat better and work out more, even if I don't have access to a gym. I plan on getting into a full routine while I'm at school and to stick to it. I'm going to work out at LEAST three times a week but hopefully more. I'm basically going to just stop eating things I know aren't good for me. I mean we know if what we're putting in our mouth is good or bad...I don't want to follow a "diet" because I never follow them. I just want to cut out the bad and control portion sizes a little bit better. I look at these athletes in the Olympics and I envy them because of their build and how toned they are. I am a Michael Phelps fan but not for his looks, believe me. I think he's a great athlete (yeah sometimes they promote him too much but hey he's making history...he deserves it!). But if he wasn't in such great shape he wouldn't have much going for him in the looks department. He's perfectly toned and his skin just lays right against his muscles. He's super fit and I just think (every time I watch him race) 'wow...his body is pretty much perfect...I want to be that fit.' It's not that I'm thinking he's "hott" or anything...I just want to be toned like that. The thing about athletes is usually you can't say "oh they're too skinny and a bad role model for kids..." nope! They're healthy, they have to be to compete and they look healthy too. I'm excited to start this new phase of my hard work...actually I just can't wait to see the results. :) I feel like if I write this down I will be even MORE driven to do it because I've told other people I'm trying...I hope it works.

He's AmAzInG!

*Study
I'm going to work even HARDER at school. I waste a lot of time sometimes and I'm determined to use it wisely this coming semester. There is time for play and rest but I know a do more than my fair share, especially when I should be doing homework. :P I'm not going to make a schedule for myself because I never follow them, but I will make a list of things to get done each week. I also will think twice before starting to lounge and think about what I need to get done.


*Money
Saving money isn't THAT hard for me, but knowing I have it also is tempting to go out and use it. I will save money. For what? Who knows, but it's just good to have something to fall back on. Plus, I'd really like to go to Greece some day. It's my new destination of choice.


So there you go. The Olympics have had the opposite effect on me from 4 years ago. When they were in Athens I felt insignificant but this year in Beijing I feel impowered and that I can be just as accomplilshed as they are. Maybe I won't get any Olympic gold medals but I'll settle for a personal gold medal any day.