Report on 2011 Goals

Mid-year is here -- can you believe it? It is an excellent time to consider how the 2011 goals are going, and make any adjustments as we head into the second half of the year.

I wrote out my 2011 goals on January 1, and today I reviewed progress. To me, the purpose of a goal is to provide a vision of where one wants to go and so long as one maintains the vision and is making progress, success has been achieved.

And so I am okay with not achieving all my goals yet but I am seriously NOT okay that an external event imposed on me has prevented me from making progress on many of my 2011 goals -- of course I am talking about the car accident of January 25, 2011.

That accident placed significant limits on my abilities to train, travel, and show -- not to mention the crabbiness factor from having a backache every single day. Those limits have stalled or delayed many of my goals, forcing me to make choices since my back only has so many activities in it per day -- still.

I am used to it now -- it always hurts some, and sometimes it hurts quite a bit, and most mornings I wake up to zinging sciatica going down my legs -- oh well. I still go to physical therapy and I am careful and etc. and now it just all seems like my "new normal", which is actually kind of sad, isn't it?

Nobody knows better than me that life is not fair -- but that doesn't make it easier to swallow, does it?! But one can sit around and eat chocolate and feel sad (I do that occasionally) or one can just march forward, dragging the new ball and chain along (I do that most of the time) -- and if you eat chocolate you get plump (sigh -- why can't it be calorie-free during times of extreme stress?) and if you march forward, you actually get stuff done. And so yes, I have accomplished some of the 2011 goals in spite of the ball/chain of three bad discs...

My goal for Mrs. Maize was that she be happy and have fun -- this is being achieved every day :)

The goals for Halo and their progress:
Goal: Halo will earn her OAP.
Report: Car accident casualty – I have had to limit how many dogs I can run in agility. We will try again in August -- she needs two more legs

Goal: Halo will earn her NFP.
Report: DONE! Did this at the Specialty.

Goal: Halo will earn her RE
Report: Earned a leg at the Specialty, expect to accomplish this in 2011.

Goal: Halo will earn her Working Dog Excellent.
Report: Car accident casualty – need that OJP for this. We will keep trying.

The goals for Cadi and their progress:
Goal: Cadi will earn her CDX.
Report: Stalled due to car accident – but training again, hope to complete in Sept.

Goal: Cadi will earn agility titles.
Report: Stalled due to car accident but still hope for another title or two in 2011.

Goal: Cadi will earn her Working Dog Excellent.
Report: Stalled due to car accident – need the CDX.

The goals for Asia and their progress:
Goal: Asia will earn her VST and CT.
Report: Stalled due to car accident but training now for August test.

Goal: Asia will earn her CDX.
Report: Car accident casualty – delayed until 2012.

Goal: Asia will earn her BNDD and BDD.
Report: BNDD DONE! Expect to earn BDD in the fall.

Goal: Asia will earn her Working Dog Excellent.
Report: Car accident casualty – delayed until 2012 due to need for CDX.


The goals for Zoey and their progress:
Goal: Zoey will complete her CH.
Report: DONE!

Goal: Zoey will complete her GrCH.
Report: Closing in – should be done in 2011.

Goal: Zoey will earn her NDD.
Report: DONE!

Goal: Zoey will earn her DD.
Report: DONE!

Goal: Zoey will earn agility titles.
Report: DONE! Well, one is done, another close…

Goal: Zoey will earn her Versatility Dog.
Report: DONE!

Goal: Zoey will earn her Versatility Dog Excellent.
Report: Closing in – should be done in 2011.


The goals for Sydney and their progress:
Goal: Sydney will earn her CH.
Report: Stalled due to car accident but still possible for 2011.

Goal: Sydney will earn her NDD.
Report: Stalled due to car accident but still expected for 2011.

Goal: Sydney will earn her Versatility Dog award.
Report: Stalled due to car accident but still possible for 2011.


The goals for Mac and their progress:
Goal: Mac will earn his NDD.
Report: DONE!

Goal: Mac will earn an agility title.
Report: DONE!

Goal: Mac will become a Versatility Dog
Report: DONE!

Goal: Mac will earn his CD
Report: Possible but focused on the more difficult Versatility Dog Excellent now (goal shift).

Goal: Mac will become a BMDCA Working Dog.
Report: Possible but focused on the more difficult Versatility Dog Excellent now (goal shift).

It is pretty clear where the available energy went -- Zoey and Mac. That doesn't mean others were neglected -- it just means Zoey and Mac got the showing focus, and it helped that they were doing the same things (agility and draft).

Being forced to choose who to show and in what is not fun -- all the dogs are getting older, and I do not get this time back with them. But I cannot dwell on that -- yes, it is infuriating and not fair but I cannot let those feelings suck more energy, as that is just voluntarily letting the accident cost me even more.

No, you just have to march on. This doesn't mean we pretend whatever happened has not caused big problems in our lives -- no need to lie about it! But wallowing doesn't get goals accomplished, does it? Unless you are a pig and wallowing in muck was indeed your #1 goal for 2011, I suppose.

All that said, sometimes the marching is not a straight line and you have to sit and rest (and cry and eat chocolate) -- that is perfectly normal. And sometimes you have to be mad and wonder at the unfairness of it all and snap at people who remind you that others have it worse. But as long as we are making SOME progress most days or weeks -- well, then I would say that things are moving right along!

As to my 2011 goals -- I recognize that there is a couple of ways to look at all this -- one is to be mad about being limited -- and I admit that I am sometimes.

But the other way to look at all this is the way I actually do feel most of the time -- in spite of having three bad discs and a backache every day, the dogs and I are having a seriously kick-butt year -- bring on the next six months!

I hope that whatever drags you down doesn't stop you from marching forward and achieving your goals, even if the timetable has to be adjusted a bit. And remember - marching burns off the pounds that chocolate adds :)