Being a part of the Dragon team last year showed me just how
much a person, when committed, can accomplish in the span of one year. To see how a list of requirements, and being
held accountable by an entire team for following through, can change a person
so thoroughly is quite incredible.
When I first made the decision to be a part of this year’s
Snake team, it was with the reason of wanting to continue with the momentum I
had going. I wanted to continue to set
and meet new challenges and to continue to build on those already in the
works. I wanted to keep on pushing myself
and continue to learn and grow. It was
all good and I was excited.
About a month before Chinese New Year’s, I found myself
questioning whether the habits and lifestyle changes I had made, would
they be sustainable? Would I have the
motivation and commitment to continue on if I wasn’t part of the team? Did I see the year of the Dragon as the reaching
of a goal, done and time for something else, or did I see it as part of a
continuing journey?
With all these questions, I have to say that one of the
biggest things that I have learned up to this point has been that the lifestyle
changes I made last year have stuck. Chinese New Year wasn't the end but rather the beginning of where I want to continue to get to. Although
all the time spent in order to grade was not something I could continue to
maintain, I have still instilled habits that have become a lifestyle. My push ups, sit ups, km, log book and random
acts of kindness are like that morning cup of coffee – a part of my day.
I signed up for the team knowing full well what the
expectations were and the time commitment required. Unfortunately what I might have neglected to
take into consideration was the unexpected; the things that come at you that
weren’t in the plan. I have also learned
that life changes and as it does I may need to modify and adjust. I’ve also had to
make the hard decisions that make a person feel they can’t win and either way they
are going to be letting someone down. It’s
not an easy journey but one that a person continues to learn from along the
way.
Alana Regier
