Stay Present, Stay Positive

I have a problem: I constantly set far away goals for myself.  Things to look forward to.  Things that will eventually be.  Things to keep me going.  But sometimes, these things aren't enough.  Sometimes they’re too far away and I get lost on my way to them.  Sometimes they come and go so quickly that all my anticipation and excitement about them seemed to be much ado about nothing.

I need to work on making smaller, daily goals.  Staying present and staying positive.  This is something I’m going to focus on over the summer.  If I actively focus on it and pursue it then, with time, it will become a permanent change in my life.  Or at least that’s what I hear anyway….

I need to make little goals for myself.  I’ve been in an awful drag since getting back from Montana.  I thought vacation would “cure” my cabin fever feelings.  Fail.  I wake up, I go to work, I sit fidgeting all day, I get out, I go work little horse some nights, I come home, I eat, I sleep, I repeat the next day.  See that?  I’m sort of missing some spice in my own life.  I need to add some excitement to one or two nights a week – non-weekend spice.  I miss waking up excited every. single. morning. 

In the middle of crafting this post I took a moment to sit and count out “# of work days until BCHA training”.  See?  I have a problem.  (24 work days left!)  I’m focusing on the “what will be” instead of the “what is right now”.  And part of me is assuming I’ll be all hunky-dory a-okay and “cured” of this drag when I return.  Doubtful.  If anything, three weeks in a Nat’l Park playing with horses and being outside daily is going to give me major pseudo-shaking-leg syndrome when I get back to my desk life.  I fail miserably at sitting still!

Whoops, another distracting break moment: just penciled in all exciting weekend activities between now and training.  (Every single weekend is booked with something, hooah!)  Problemmmmmmmm.  Maybe I need a new, exciting morning routine to jump-start my days?  Problem is, I SUCK at getting up earlier than necessary.  My body is sleepiest between the hours of 3a – 8a and most alert from 5p – 11p.  At least at this point in my life that’s my schedule.

I need to apply this towards Griffin’s training more than anything, since its my look-forward-to thing every day.  I’ve really hit a brick wall with things lately and I need to pick up the pace, but in a small way.  I’m not talking about lengthier training sessions more days a week – I think he’s getting a proper amount of stimuli for his age @ 4 days a week in the evening after I finish work.  I just need to expand his, and my, repertoire of activities – more or less add some more spice to what we’re already doing.  I’ve come up with some little things:

 Ø  Not balking at the sound/feeling of fly spray – Little horse is gonna get a LOT of water sprayed on him (and fly spray on days that merit it)

 Ø  More work with the tarp – I want him to LOVE that thing and all its crinkly noises

 Ø  Head shyness – he is random with his “oh my god you’re near my head” reactions, I’d like to make it so he’s very rarely jerking away

 Ø  Double long-lining to lead to potential driving – this would just be beneficial cool for us both to learn 

 Ø  Walking/trotting over ground poles during our sessions – kid seems to pick his feet up well on the trail when he tags along, but it’d be nice to give him more reason to be aware of his feet and to mix up the whole ground work thing

 Ø  Short walk/jogs in hand – because I’m a lazy bum and need to get myself out there moving, a little jaunt down the back road would be good for his tootsies, too.  Besides, walking/trotting in hand will be useful (vet checks) if we end up in endurance as I’d like.

So now, dear friends, I need your help and advice.  What do you do to spice things up between adventures and weekends?  How about ways to alter your body’s schedule to get up early and jumpstart/take control of your day?  I need ideas, people!  Additionally, horse folk, what ideas do you have for more ground-based mind and body stimulating activities for Griffin?