Tuesday, November 19, 2013

On Setting Goals


My very first appointment at the OB/GYN when I was pregnant with my oldest involved me sitting in the nurse's office answering a bunch of questions including: 

"Are you going to breastfeed?" 

Even though I answered yes they sent me home with a "Welcome Bag" filled with formula.

I'm not sure when it was I decided I was going to breastfeed but I knew it was something that I wanted to do,  the AAP recommended breastfeeding until one year so that was what I decided I was going to do.

Whenever the conversation would come up with friends and family members I would tell them my goal.

"I'm going to breastfeed for one year" 

Some told me that it was a great goal, others told me that I needed to make smaller goals so that I didn't set myself up for failure and some just laughed at the idea.

It was those people, the people who laughed that helped me succeed in breastfeeding the most. I'm one stubborn son of a gun and I was going to make it to a year even if it was just to say "I told you so".

When I became pregnant again with my 2nd and my 3rd my goal was similar but a little different, at least one year and hopefully 2+ because that's how long I nursed Mason.

After getting pregnant with my 3rd I started a Birth Month Board and became close with those ladies. There were first time moms just like me who proclaimed loudly and proudly that they would breast feed for the first year, I saw the same types of responses that I got when I said that.

But I was able to provide them a different response than the ones I received. I told them my story, that my goal was a year and not only did I make that goal I surpassed it. 




Some people do better with short term goals. They want to get through those first 4-6 weeks, and then 3 months and then 6 months etc. And that works for them but for me, I needed the lofty goal, I needed the motivation that for me said "You're going to do this, no matter what".

And I did it.

And no matter your goal, you can too.
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2 comments:

  1. I'm a lofty goal setter, too! Maybe it's the stubborn side of me? :)

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  2. I know it's the stubborn side of me for sure!

    ReplyDelete