How’s Your Aim?

I’ve been thinking about the timeline that’s established following the diagnosis of a chronic or life-threatening illness.  The first part of the journey begins at the diagnosis, usually entailing a bit or a lot of shock.  Then the next step, in conjunction with your medical team, is to devise a treatment/care plan.  Depending on the diagnosis this might include multiple medical interventions.  Aside from the obviously goal of getting better or well, what goals are you setting for yourself?

It’s clear that the journey begins with the intent of a cure; that might not be possible given the diagnosis.  The goal is the like bullseye on a target; the ultimate goal.  I don’t know about you but most people who begin target shooting don’t hit the bullseye their first time out.  It takes practice to attain precision and get results.  So the big question is what goals are you setting for yourself?  Are there goals you’d like to attain that will aid you on your journey to health and healing?  It’s an incremental process because it takes time to become proficient, even at the medical regimen like taking pills every day at the right time.

So how’s your aim?  What have you been trying to accomplish, the bullseye, since your diagnosis?  What is it that you’d like to get better at?  Are you seeing progress?  The 12-step programs talk about progress not perfection.  Are you moving in the right direction?  I know recently I had a slide because I had run out of my cholesterol medication (the meds for my auto-immune disease increases my cholesterol levels).  I had to go for a blood test and lo and behold I got a call from the doctor that my cholesterol was high.  I reminded the medical team that I hadn’t been taking the cholesterol medication and they agreed to have me test again in 3 months.  My bullseye is to manage the side-effects of my medication so I have to get better at time management so I don’t run out of meds (didn’t help that I was working 1500 miles away from home…I know, no excuse).

It’s not simply good enough to state a goal without a means of getting there.  If you state a goal there should be a plan to attain that goal or all you’re doing is living a delusional life.  There are few documented cases of spontaneous healing so if that’s what you’re waiting for you should resort to Plan B immediately.  Need help improving your aim so you hit the target you’ve set up for youself?  Go to www.survivingstrong.com and let’s work on this together!