One of the physical things on my list is to be able to do all the squats on the Nell McAndrew Ultimate Challenge dvd, and tonight, I did them all! Hurrah and huzzah!
The only thing is, I don't actually feel that victorious. This isn't the most adventurous, exciting, romantic, profound or even biggest of things to do before I'm 40, and not the most interesting to write about for the first thing ticked off. Don't get me wrong, this was actually a big challenge for me. This DVD isn't all that easy, and the whole motivation of actually jumping around the living room in the evening is another thing, but I was almost at the point of getting to this goal at the time of putting together The List. Although this was the first time I've actually done the DVD since The List. (I have been doing these exercises on and off for the past few years)
Perhaps another reason for me only feeling a partial sense of achievement is that the squats and aerobic sections could have been better, and by that I mean done with more energy and conviction. And still it seems that I can't hold my own arms up for very long, never mind rotating the shoulders or even holding weights.
Anyway, I should stop dwelling on the negatives. I actually did the DVD tonight. I could have caught up with TiVo and made more of a dent into the Christmas chocolates. But I didn't. I did the DVD. I could have put tonight down as another night where I couldn't do anything vaguely energetic as I couldn't get out for a run round the streets, but I didn't. I did the DVD.
A few achievements then: The self motivation, the continuation of actually doing stuff rather than sitting about, carrying on through all the aerobic sessions, and the actual squats. I have, by default, achieved the goal, which becomes the first thing off The List. Tick.
Getting this far, and even without the full energy and conviction has taught me you should really go at everything you do wholeheartedly. Otherwise, what really is the point. There should be no regrets about wasted time or wasted opportunities. Life is too short.
Also, this list of stuff to do before I'm 40 is not to be just played at. Each and every thing to do I want to be memorable, and not just a tick box exercise.
The next time I get my trainers on for some jumping around the living room I'll be more up for it than I was tonight. No doubt I'll get more from doing the exercises and I'll be building on what I've already done. I definitely won't be leaving it at that.
And next time I might even be able to hold my own arms up. Then I'll definitely feel the sense of achievement!
