How You Doin'?

Darling Joey Tribbiani from the t.v. show Friends says when he come across a pretty lady, “how you doin?” Maybe we don’t always approach people this way, with the Joey smile and nod of the head. Joey didn’t even always have positive results with this question despite his sly behavior. For those of us who remember his moments of flirtation as we watched through our devices, maybe some of us wished we had some of Joey’s mojo. A magic charm we could use when we wanted someone to look our way or go on a date with us, or better yet, to help us stay on track with our lives.

Wanting an ideal relationship is one thing, and for those who desire one, it’s a great goal to work toward. However, making sure we are on track before starting a relationship or while working on one is extremely important. And difficult. New Year’s resolutions and goals can shape the way we think and act as time goes by. Pacts with friends to achieve goals together even take off like rockets at the beginning of each year. But how are those working for us now, as the second half of summer is in full swing? How ARE you doin’?

Goals should be attainable. If you’ve set any this year and are now realizing you haven’t achieved one, recalibrate. Is your goal attainable? Is it realistic? Dreams are very important, and are usually the ultimate realization of a goal, but dreams are not goals in themselves. Dreams are what we hope to achieve once we’ve reached a set of goals. One may dream of being a size 6, but losing weight, dieting, exercising, and reaching goals help to make that dream a reality. And it doesn’t stop there. Maintaining the size 6 may be a lot of work. Is hard work really a part of a dream come true? As long as you continue to reach your goals, which generally takes hard work and dedication, maybe even sacrifice and selflessness, you can have a dream come true.

So take a moment. Stop and look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself, with a flirty little smile “how you doin’?” What will you honestly answer to yourself? Would you want to go out on a date with the person in that reflection? What do you need to do to make those goals stick? And if you’re happy with the person you see in the mirror, keep up the good work. Making positive change and progress always takes work. Feeling good happens when you’re on your way to your goals, way before you reach them. Feel empowered and confident in your decision to redidicate yourself to those New Year’s resolutions that may have fallen to the wayside. You get to do it all over again in five months.

For more information on this topic, e-mail jaclyn.urmey@us.af.mil.