Personal Goals
Something that surprised me about living in Bermuda is that the winter can be cold. Not Ontario snowstorm cold by any description, but cold enough to necessitate wearing jeans and jackets. The air temperature gets colder, but so does the water. I was disappointed to discover that the average person in Bermuda does not swim in the ocean from about October to May, and similarly disappointed to realize that I probably wouldn’t be swimming year-round either. My first January here, I put my toes in the water, shivered and thought, “No way.” Friends laughed. “Why would you want to swim in January anyway?”
Well, I took that on as a challenge. In January of 2010, I decided that I would attempt to swim in the ocean every month of the year. I stayed on track for ten months, and then in October of that year I broke my ankle. That derailed me for 2010 and 2011, because I wasn’t walking properly until the following February.
2012 dawned cold, but I didn’t let it deter me. A new year, a new twelve months. In January I braved the chilly waters and went in for a swim. Every month after that through October, I’ve been in the ocean. The winter months were not especially fun, and people who were walking along the beach in their jackets looked at me as if I was crazy. But I did it.
Two weeks ago, November 1st arrived and the weather was grey, rainy, and gusty. Not at all weather to compel one to go for a swim. You remember Sandy? Although Bermuda was not hit by the hurricane, we did feel its effects. So the November days passed until two weeks went by and I still did not go to the beach. Last Friday, however, the sun was out. It was a beautiful day. That week’s art group was hosted by a friend who lived on a property with a little private beach. After we finished our painting session, I announced that I was going for a swim.
“Why?” a fellow artist asked.
“Because I’ve set a goal to swim in the ocean every month of the year,” I replied.
“But what for?” She was clearly puzzled.
What for indeed? I believe that setting goals for ourselves helps us to grow. They challenge us, develop our self-discipline, and help us to be the best we can be. Achieving our objectives gives us a sense of accomplishment and builds self-esteem. We owe it to ourselves to live the best life we can, and striving to attain goals that we set keeps us heading in that direction.
I went for my November swim in the ocean last Friday. My friend, Lynne, joined me. When we first stepped in the water we both flinched at the cold that penetrated our feet, but we took it slow, acclimatized our skin to the chill, and soon we were immersed and enjoying our swim. It was glorious.
So now I am eleven for eleven. One more month to go. I hope we have a warm spell in December!
