Edgar, my trainer, keeping his eye on me from underneath my desk.
My new personal trainer, Edgar, is a great teacher. If I slack off of the routine of walking outdoors every hour, I am directly impacted by the consequences: cleaning up a mess in the house.
Yesterday was another failure. Despite the fact that I took him outside to walk in the nice shoveled pathways I created, he rewarded me with a poop on the carpet.
Figuring we needed to contain the little guy, Hubby and my eldest daughter headed out to a nearby pet store to buy a gate or a pen. What they got instead was an earful of wisdom from the owner.
“With a dog like Edgar,” he said, “you need to think of him as a puppy: you are starting from square one, he knows nothing. Expect to spend 60 days being consistent and persistent. By then, he should have it figured out that you pee and poo outside, not on the carpet!”
Note the lovely shoveled pathway
So now I have a new goal. 60 days of taking a walk outside in rain, snow, clouds and sunshine. Even when I feel like quitting, if I keep at it, I will get the result I want.
This is the time of year when we all start thinking of New Year’s resolutions. Whether your goal is better health, a thinner waistline or a dog that poops outdoors, the strategy is the same. Have a clear vision of the future that you’d like. Get super clear about what you want. Be consistent and persistent in your actions.
Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. ~ Bill Bradley
