Success and Expectations

So much of success depends on our expectations. I have been thinking this today because I just back from a successful day at the gym. Before I got pregnant with Buster, I signed up with a gym and trainer to get my body in better shape for pregnancy. I would spend about an hour and half at the gym doing cardio and weights.

Today was our first big day out to the gym now that Buster is old enough for the on-site care. Sunny was so excited! I was nervous, but rather than plan on a full workout, I decided that if I could just do 30 minutes of cardio, it would be worth it. I had been on the bike for a little over 20 minutes, I think, when they paged me. Buster had just lost it and was very sad and tired. I picked him up and cuddled him, doing a few stretches so I wouldn't seize up in the car on the way home. Sunny was pretty upset that we had to leave, but we did anyway.

If I had hoped to spend an hour or more, I would have been very disappointed. However, because I adjusted my expectations to something a little more realistic, I think it was a great success--especially for a first time. I hope I can lengthen things out a little (I'd like to stretch before I pick them up, at least), but I'm happy about today.

The other place I have noticed this is birthdays. When I was a kid, my birthday was so special! You get to bring treats and posters to school, and Mom made my favorite meal and a birthday cake. By high school, I hated my birthdays because school was just normal, and I might get special dinner. Cake was still on the menu, of course. I finally realized, though, that my birthdays were rotten because I was expecting them to be special, not just a normal day. Once I adjusted my expectations of my birthday, I started to enjoy them again.