By Katie Welborn, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
Two years ago, I set a major life goal for myself – I decided that I was going to go back to school to study nutrition. Going back to school was something I had always dreamed I would do, and I finally felt confident in the path I wanted to pursue.
There was just one problem — I was going to have to wait one full year before I could begin the program I had decided on. Sure, on some level I knew that the year would go by quickly. But I still felt a bit frustrated and stuck at the prospect of putting off my new goal for so long.
Around the same time, one of my good friends confided in me that she also had a dream to also go back to school. She had researched it, figured out how to pay for it, and she would be able to start in just a couple of months. I was simultaneously both incredibly excited for her, and even more frustrated with my own situation. I’m so ashamed to admit that, but I’m including it because I think it’s an important part of the story.
After allowing myself some time to reflect on my situation and my feelings, I was reminded of the wise words of Justin Su’a (my favorite Sports Psychologist) - HUSTLE WHILE YOU WAIT.
I tried to picture what my life would be like in a year when I was finally in school. How would things change for me personally? For my marriage and my family? How would this impact my finances?
So instead of allowing myself to wallow and flounder for a year, I got to work. I got a part time job and started paying down bills and saving. I also poured a lot of time and energy into my marriage - knowing that a stronger bond in that relationship would benefit us all when the going got tough. In short, I found ways to HUSTLE WHILE I WAITED.
I think it is very tempting, with everything going on in the world right now, to feel like it is hard to make progress towards your goals. Some days it feels like we are in a holding pattern. So many things seem uncertain, and this might hold us back from moving ourselves forward in the direction of our goals.
Find ways to HUSTLE WHILE YOU WAIT. No matter what, there is always, ALWAYS something you can do to move yourself forward.