Here comes October. I love this month and have ever since I was a little girl jumping in leaf piles in my backyard. The air is crisp, the pumpkin pie is delicious, and the apple cider leaves you feeling warm and nostalgic. For me, October in Indiana is perfect, and I can’t think of a better way to start out my favorite month than what I’ll be doing this Thursday.

You see, this Thursday, October 1st, is the 2nd Annual Monster Mini-Golf for Riley event hosted by my favorite credit union, Afena. Just like last year, the whole family will be traveling to River’s Edge Family Golf Center, ready to putt-putt our way to glory. The winner gets to choose our Saturday family time activity, and I have my heart set on a bonfire, marshmallows, and stargazing, so wish me luck.

If last year is any indication, I’ll need all the luck I can get. I didn’t win, and I completely blame Hole #16. If you’ve been out to River’s Edge, you’ll know which one I’m talking about. It’s the circle with the hole right in the middle. It sounds simple, but the “hole” resembles an upside-down bundt cake pan. Usually I try to live the motto “Never Give Up”, especially in front of the kids, but I finally threw in the towel. It truly felt impossible, and after 8 attempts, even little man was getting impatient.

We all have our Hole #16. It might be losing those extra pounds, losing that credit card debt, or sticking to a budget. Maybe it’s keeping up with house repairs or saving for retirement. At some point, we’ve all reached our limit and have decided it’s not worth trying anymore because it’s IMPOSSIBLE. And sometimes the best thing to do is to throw in the towel…for a little while.

This Thursday, I am going to conquer Hole #16. Even if it takes me 20 putts and a crowd of onlookers to cheer me on (or at least cheer me onto the next hole), I will not be giving up this year. Sure, I was frustrated last year, and I gave up for a little while, but now it’s time to try again.

“Success is buried on the other side of frustration.”  – Tony Robbins

Some things are easier to return to than others. Getting back on a budget is going to be tougher than marking my score at the putt-putt course. But I truly believe that if I keep striving for success, I will eventually get there…and you will too.

I hope you’ll join me this Thursday at the Monster Mini-Golf fundraiser. I know it’s going to be an awesome time, with free putt-putt, free face painting, and a free puppet show. There will be good food, lots of fun, and all of this for a good cause. And if you see a woman camped out at Hole #16, wish me luck. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.