Focus

I define it as: the ability to perform while distracted.

Take me for example. Here I sit with four dogs at my feet (and let's just say it is garbage day - it is BTW). Also, I took two days off of work this week so the amount of work I need to do on this day is high. Add to that, lack of sleep. This is a good test of my ability to focus. However, I am failing miserably.

I have attempted to make it better by drinking caffeinated beverages, putting the dogs in their respective kennels, telling my coworkers to stop calling me, giving all the dogs a bone to chew, taking headache meds, and in general trying to redouble my efforts on focus, yet focus elludes me.

I think about what I ask my little Tazzy to do on an agility field. I ask him to follow my lead while correctly moving over and through obstacles while dogs are barking, flags are waving, there are things moving fast all around him, strange people standing around staring at him, food being cooked nearby, and a treats waiting for him at the end of the run. And I ask myself, how does he do it? How does he tune it out?

Focus is a really important thing that we as humans need. Think of that steriotypical image of a husband watching TV. Kids are killing each other, the dog is pooping on the carpet, the doorbel is ringing, the pipe in the kitchen just broke, the wife is yelling for help, yet that man can focus on that game and not realize ANYTHING is happening around him and when the woman finally throws something at him and hits him in the head he says, "What was that for?". How does he do it and why can't I?

I gues this is the question of the ages. I'm going to go back to work now and focus.

Inspiration

Well not everyone knows, but the agility worlds has just ended. The US did well. We didn't win gold, but a number of other precious metals were won by team and individuals. The worlds were held in Norway. A friend went over and video'd all of the runs and had them posted each evening. It was incredible to be able to see friends of mine competing. Course maps were posted so you could imagine how you would walk the course and then you could watch the greatest agility competitors in the world run these courses.

Today in my class, my trainer set up one of the courses. We walked the course and then ran it. I pretented I was in the worlds.

I had a good time. We came in 2nd place, right behind "Havoc" who I don't think any dog can beat.

This weekend we are off to Dixon. Tazz and I will pretent we are at the worlds and work hard on our standard courses. Hopefully the Teeter will not be our downfall this weekend.

Times, they are a changing

1 week old with mom. Fin is in the lower right corner all by herself.

At 7 weeks.

At 8 weeks

At 14 weeks

At 17 weeks

I've fallen and I can't get up

So, back again to the same old story of goals and showing consistent progress toward meeting those goals. Or the lack thereof.

I am in my third week of JC. This week seems to be hard to stay focused. Excusses abide. Then there is the blatent lack of effort. It is hard not to be disappointed in myself and my lack of fortitute.

So I say. At this morment I need to focus and stay on course. Leave the guilt, leave the doubt, leave the unavoidable disappointment and get back on track.

More later.

Who's watching?

Why are personal goals so difficult to reach? Because no one is watching, that's why.


In school, we get grades - the teacher is watching
In the military, we get promotions - the officers are watching
In work, we get $$ - the bosses are watching
In agility, we get Q's - my peers are watching

I've learned to make commitments based on someone measuring my success to a goal. It is extremely competitive in a way and rewarding to do well because you get recognition.

Who recognizes whether I walked that day, or ate right, or didn't drink, or didn't procrastinate. Who cares whether I fed my kids healthy foods, made them do their homework, washed the dishes, or spent the day cleaning house. Where is my competition to make the accomplishments more fun? No wonder people would rather play a game with a finite result then wash the dishes.

I guess I have to learn something new at my tender age of 48. I have to learn to watch myself. It is frightening to imagine that I will be measuring my own success given my A personality and high expectations.

I guess I need to learn to manage myself, measure my success, and create a sense of competitiveness in order to get where I eventually want to be.

Lots of News

The wait is over for alot of things. Kel did get his phone call and he seems pleased with the result. He starts a new job on Monday September 24. It is all pretty exciting.
I'm still scratching away at my prison wall and no one has noticed yet. It was hard this week as I must have hit some pretty hard rock, but my little tool is holding up and each day I've walked the yard and dumped a few more crumbles on the ground.
This weekends agility was pretty cool too. Tazz actually won money! Kel and I are thinking of starting his own bank account. There is a game called steeplechase and you run around as quickly as you can and the winners get money based on the number of entries. There are two rounds, the first is a qualifier, the second is the money earner. Tazz has never made it past the qualifier before. Saturday he did!
So Sunday we ran in the money.
Some of these competitions are huge and the winner can take home large amounts. This weekends was small and the $$'s weren't big, but we didn't care. We just were very proud to be able to say we won!
Today is back to work and we have another big show this weekend. Can't wait!

7.2

Seven is a really cool number. There are seven days in a week, the seven year itch, the number of my next dog, seven wonders of the world, god rested on the seventh, seventh inning stretch, it is the 4th prime number (if that rocks your boat), and it is the number of pounds I lost this week on my weight loss journey.
Since I weighed in a day early, it really seems like alot, but I do have alot to loose. I must say even I was surprised. I thought it would be five (five is also a nice number), but no, it was seven.
So on to the next week. I did have a challenge in that last night we went out to eat at a friends. This is Kels friend and I felt uncomfortable taking my JC meal with me, so I just went with the flow. She served FIVE courses of food. She really put on a beautiful presentation and I couldn't hurt her feelings. I was stuffed after the appetizer! I kept giving Kel my food and he ate it all, he is such a trooper! I really appreciated how supportive he is.
This week I have a challenge of my first dog show on JC. I have only one meal that I will eat out. The rest will be planned and on JC. The weigh in on Monday should be interesting.
I am keeping the motto, "it is not what you do one meal, it is what you do over a seven day period!" So on to my next seven.