Reflection abstention

A little electronic sticky note on my computer desktop informs me that I have only three more miles to walk before I reach my summer goal of 150. I'm not counting casual walks across the Wal-Mark parking lot--only brisk, strenuous walks in genuine walking shoes feed into that total. By the end of June it looked as if I would easily exceed my goal before August, but then July happened. I don't want to think about July.

I don't want to go back and look at the list of summer goals I posted back in June either. I know it was an ambitious list, but most of it would have been doable if it hadn't been for July. (Here I am not thinking about July!) I reached my walking goal, taught my summer online class, kept up with the garden (mostly), submitted a proposal for an academic conference, and submitted articles to two publications, one of which was returned with lightning speed. I decided on a color for the living room but did not pick up a paintbrush or even buy paint. I kept thinking about hosting an event at my house and kept postponing it, and then July happened (again with the July thing!) and since then I've been busy.

Now I'm looking toward fall and thinking about new goals, so the sensible thing would be to reflect on my summer goals, but it would be difficult to prevent July from entering those reflections so I have decided to abstain. When the reflection becomes a distraction, it's time to draw a curtain over the mirror and move on. Briskly. In walking shoes.