Invitation : 2021 Challenge : Do Something Hard

Do you get the feeling that society at large has thrown in the towel?
 
People keep talking about the end of 2020 as though everything will magically be better when the clock strikes midnight on January 1.

I’ll admit the concept has spawned some good jokes, like the “wipe away 2020” roll of toilet paper I received for Christmas and the observation that soon hindsight really will be 2020.​

All the same, I’m not buying it. 2021 has the potential to be just as bad – or as good – as any other year.

The calendar isn't going to make 2021 different.
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You are.

​Some of this will be out of our control. But how we respond to whatever comes (to wax a bit Viktor Frankl) is up to each of us. The calendar isn’t going to make 2021 different. You are.
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You’ve seen this meme, right? ​

I love that. Sure, change is going to hurt. But staying the same is worse.
 
Consider: What makes you feel better when you’re feeling down?
 
There's the old "me time" recommendation. And sure, a little “self care” in the form of a hot bath or takeout dinner is nice. But in my experience, it fails to offer lasting change. I wake up the next day feeling exactly the same (or, in the case of General Tso's and egg rolls, worse). 
 
Real relief isn't found in taking a break from reality, but in taking control of it.

Real relief isn't found in taking a break from reality, but in taking control of it.

What if, instead of trying to coddle away the frustration, loneliness, boredom, grief, and anger, we gave ourselves a project? Not a craft with the kids or an afternoon with cookie dough and icing, but a serious challenge. Something hard.

Think about your life right now. What’s going on with your body? Your time? Your emotions? Your space? Your mind?
 
What bothers you about the way things are?
 
Most of us carry around some level of dissatisfaction. Often, the burden is so familiar that we forget it’s there. That old resentment. That extra jiggle in your arms. That soda habit. That colt's bucking tendency you’ve been working around instead of working through. It’s like wearing sunglasses in a dim room. You’re always squinting, trying to see, but putting up with it because that’s “just the way it is.”
 
Well…what if you took the sunglasses off?
 
What if, instead of just resting from 2020, you took on 2021 with purpose? What if you stood up one more time and took control? Don’t just lay there all wrung out! Do something hard. I’ll do it with you.

Here are the rules:

1. It has to be challenging but realistic. Think tough, but possible. (As much as I’d like to set a goal of riding Tevis, I don’t have a 100-mile horse right now, so that idea isn’t really in the cards.) Choose something that you think you can do, but you're not 100% sure. Something that scares you a little. 

2. It has to be specific and measurable. You need to be able to objectively identify progress toward  a specific goal. That's how you'll know when you succeed.

That's it! The sky's the limit. It's all about you.

Here's how to join:

1. Drop some personal goal ideas in the comments. There's no need to get it exactly right or make your final choice at this point. In upcoming posts, we’ll dig into some ways to analyze, prioritize, and strategize. For now, let’s just brainstorm.

​I'll go first.

Here’s my list:
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Lean out
Build muscle/increase strength
Decrease alcohol consumption
Finish a Spartan Sprint
Improve my posture (riding and generally)
Publish at least 2 blog posts per week
Get my new mare fit for multi-days by late season
Get my challenging filly well started under saddle 
​Spend more time with friends and family (spoken like a true introvert)
Get back into running
Eat 100+ grams of protein per day
Get pushup and pullup PRs (maybe quarterly??)
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2. Follow The Sweaty Equestrian on Facebook. This is totally optional. However, if you do the Facebook thing, it’s a good place to build community around your goal, find frequent encouragement, and make sure you don't miss upcoming posts.

​Ready? Let's win 2021.

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