Wahoo! Would you look at that. 100 posts! It’s been over a year, so 100 posts is a bit of a small number, but a milestone nonetheless. Some of you have been with me from the beginning, and some of you have stopped reading completely…but thanks, no matter what. I write in hopes that something in here will spark something out there, and I hope it’s working.
I chose to use this post mostly for my own selfish reasons. I went back and skimmed through my posts, mostly from when I first started out, and was provided an opportunity to look at myself in a whole different way.
I forgot about the basic function of a blog: to be able to go back and read it whenever I wanted. I made mistakes, overcame challenges, and had exciting moments, but I never went back and looked at them again. Now, I have, and I learned a few things.
Read my blog more often.
There’s a lot of posts where I make promises to myself, ones that I haven’t kept or even remember making. I let them sit in a post and gather dust, without a second thought. Past-Jackie is a pretty smart girl, and I need to listen to her more, that’s for sure.
There’s bad, and then there’s good.
I mostly use this blog, admittedly, as a place to vent my anger or frustration about my day, my environment, or even my body. There were times where I was pretty down on myself or felt like I was at a low and couldn’t recover. I always did. Even if it seems terrible, I can come back from anything.
I can’t give up running.
Running has been the root of so many things for me. First, it got me thinking in a more healthy way. Combined with my efforts from Weight Watchers, I lost about 15 pounds. Now that I switched to using FitBit’s tracking technique, I’ve lost even more. I’m more confident and happy about myself, even though I still have some more to lose. Running has also provided me with confidence on a totally different level. When I started this blog, I had just started running. Then, I ran my first 5K. I was scared of it. Suddenly, I pushed myself to train and complete a half marathon…twice already, with plans for more. Watching myself struggle on 3 mile runs during training, or worry about possibly signing up for a 10K makes me so proud of what I’ve overcome.
Blog every day.
Not only is this true from a “good blogging practice” standpoint, but it’s also good for myself. Some days, I’m stuck on a blog topic. Those days are the best. They challenge me to think creatively; or look at my day a little bit differently the second time around.
My life is pretty cool.
I’ve done some cool stuff, met some cool people, and have a pretty great life.
So, readers, thanks again for sticking with me for 100 posts. See you at 200!