It Only Takes 6 Months
Laying in bed last night, I realized it has been 10 years since I made the biggest promise to myself and went through my greatest transformation.
10 years ago, I was 15 years old. I wasn’t happy with my weight, I had just failed my first final ever, I was coming to terms with my sexuality and dealing with the backlash of my coming out.
After finding out I failed the final and would receive a D in my Algebra 2 course, I laid in bed, much like last night, and realized this wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. I promised when I woke up in the morning, I’d be different- and I was.
Over the course of the next 6 months, I lost 20 pounds. I learned everything I could about diet and nutrition while waking up at 5 am to run 3 miles every day. I started reading in my free time.
The following school year, I jumped 30 spots in my high school class rank. I reshaped my thinking around my home life, knowing that if I kept going, I would one day be able to be my true self. I could leave this small town that didn’t like the way I loved and I could be whoever I wanted.
I truly believe those 6 months set me up for the next 10 years of my life. After graduating near the top of my high school class, I attended my state university, kept going to the gym, involved myself in every extracurricular I could, and landed a great job after graduating.
That job led to another job, allowing me to finally leave the New York area and move to South Florida, make a whole new set of friends, then move to Raleigh, NC where I met even more amazing people. That job led to finding what I really wanted to do in my career, product marketing, and storytelling, and now I have landed at a company where I truly believe in their product and mission.
But what about the next 10 years?
I know there are things that could be a lot better. I find myself at the bar maybe, a little too much. I am less motivated to get to the gym and now, I have back pain as the cherry on top. I know I need a better financial strategy to set up my future family for success.
The next 6 months, again, need to be about laying the foundation for my next 10 years. The next 10 years will be the foundation for me to take into my older years.
Thinking about the next 10 years is terrifying and there is no way to have a possible plan. But we can all take 6 months right now, to lay the foundation for something great.
I’ve seen it before. All it takes sometimes is 6 months.
Happy Holidays & Cheers to 2022.
