Cruising Toward My Goal

It was brought to my attention yesterday—by my grandfather, of all people—that our cruise is in just 84 days. I couldn’t believe it. He even showed me on the calendar, and I was still in denial.

I say our cruise because I’m crashing the one he and my grandmother take every year to celebrate his birthday. But seriously… 84 days! It’s going to fly by.

They say time flies, and it’s true—which is exactly why we need to set goals for ourselves. Goals help us focus on the daily steps that lead us forward. We set them all the time, often without realizing it. When we plan a vacation or buy tickets to an event months away, we’ve already set a goal: to show up and enjoy that moment.

When it comes to Program, even though it’s a lifestyle, we still need to set goals. That goal might be a number on the scale, a clothing size, or simply a milestone that feels meaningful. What matters is that it’s measurable—because we’ve all learned about SMART goals at some point.

The first question Dianne asked me when I came back was, “What’s your goal?”

Ultimately, my long-term goal is to reach Maintenance—the other side of Program. For the record, I’ve never been there before. To get there, the scale needs to show 175, which feels daunting, but I’ll get there in my own time.

Still, I needed a short-term goal—something to focus on right now. For me, that meant getting back to where I was before life sidetracked me: a size 18 pant and 70 pounds down.

Because SMART goals need a deadline, I had to ask myself when I wanted to reach it. If I could snap my fingers, it would be today! But since that’s not how life works, I picked a date: January 23, 2025—the day we set sail.

Dianne told me that as long as I stick to Program, that goal is absolutely doable.

So, is my goal SMART?

Let’s see:

✅ Specific: Down 70 pounds by January 22, 2025

✅ Measurable: Weekly weigh-ins to track progress

✅ Achievable: Yes—and I’m almost there!

✅ Relevant: 100%—this matters deeply to me

✅ Time-Bound: Absolutely—84 days to go!

Having a goal—SMART or not—is powerful. But what happens once you reach it?For me, hitting this goal will be an incredible milestone and bring me close to the halfway point toward my ultimate destination. It won’t mean I can relax or “reward” myself with off-Program bites or tastes. It just means I’ll keep working just as hard to maintain and continue forward.

Crossing the finish line feels amazing—but it’s never really the end. Like the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. Once you reach one goal, you get to set another.

This week, I took two steps closer to mine—84 days to go and just 26 pounds left until that first major goal. Every pound lost, every step taken, and every choice made brings me closer to that cruise—and to the best version of me.

This week’s loss: 2 pounds

Total loss so far: 44 pounds