I had a conversation with my little sister (26) last night about my dad. My parents got divorced like 10 years ago and my dad had a brain anyersm when he was 49 and he lost a lot of his short term memory. He's made a lot of progress (he used to not remember where we were going if we were in the car, now he drives on his own) but he can't have a job and he sits around and does NOTHING. Last time I was out to visit him, I asked him if he would train to bike the TOSRV with me (
www.tosrv.org) which is a long bike ride he did when he was 30-something. I'm turning 30 next year and it's a parent-child type race. Anyway, he said he could do it today if I wanted him to (HA!) and promised me about a million times that he'd do it (HA!).
So, here's the deal with my dad. It takes a long time for something in his short term memory to stay long enough to make it to his LONG term memory so that he'll actually remember it.
First, I called and reminded him of his promise. Every week. Every week I got the same response, "But I need new tires on my bike." "So, Dad, take your bike in and get some tires." "Ok, I'll do it tomorrow." Well, of course, he never remembered the conversation or to take in his bike.
Next, I sent him a card. He always puts my cards on the fridge. In the card I wrote that I had been bike riding and that I was looking forward to the TOSRV and that he needed to get new tires and I hoped he'd start training soon. Everyday when he gets up, he goes to the fridge and reads my card.
Today Amanda told me he asked for an indoor trainer for Christmas. (For those of you who don't know, that's the thing you put your real bike on to train for bike races in the winter). Apparently, he took out the old one and it was broken but he needs to try out his NEW TIRES!
This was amazing for me and a reminder that you don't need to have a brain anyersm to have trouble making a goal happen. It takes a while to form a habit or think about something new everyday. I challenge you to write one of your farfetched goals on the fridge with 5 mini-steps to make it happen. Looking at it everyday will get you in the mind-set to do something amazing.
Here's mine:
COMPETE IN A TRIATHLON
1. Find a triathlon that I like.
2. Bike a little everyday, long rides on the weekends.
3. Walk 3 miles - 3 times a week.
4. Join a gym and schedule gym time 5 times a week.
5. Tell everyone I know about it.