Though I suspect it is I who is doing the changing - at least THIS year :-)
As I went through the list of good intentions that I started 2011 with, several have shifted a bit and I am dealing with the mental shift that goes with it.
The FIRST thing that hit me when I recognized that I am not planning on continuing one of my resolutions is ..... what? WHY aren't you going to accomplish that? You are lazy or you need to work harder.... there is something WRONG with you that is keeping you from doing what you set out to do!
I am not sure that is true.
I think that life changes and new challenges arise that supersede the old. And I think that living with my resolutions has shown me not only what I am accomplishing - but also what I am not prioritizing.
So right away I want to say that I am going to spend July making a new list. Some things will remain on the list - some things will change - and I will continue to live out loud (here :-) and share the journey!
Here's to July and re-evaluating!
Things I have done well:
#2. Send birthday cards to friends and family / also be prepared with sympathy and congratulations cards. STILL on target with only a handful of them late :-)
#3. Read a minimum of a book a week for the year- I still LOVE this one!
#8. Photo project – I plan to locate, sort and organize family photos. - I am halfway through scanning them - go me! I am in the middle of digging through the tub salvaged from Hurricane Isabel... constantly reminding myself that if they were THAT important, I would have put them in albums in the first place! But I will salvage & scan what I can :-)Things I have done marginally:
#4. Crochet for charity – and use my crocheted items as gifts when possible.
*I became intrigued with the dishcloth challenge and am having a lot of fun working on different techniques. Of course, I WILL use these for gifts and charity BUT this is not what I set out to do. AND my initial goals for the year (what I intended to make) have changed. So this is a little swerve, not a big change :-)
# 6. Spiritual reading – I am considering reading the Bible through again.
* Nope, Bible reading is not happening. I have read several spiritual books, however & took a course on Christ.... but they aren't filling the hole. What I need to do is set aside daily time to talk to God. I did pretty well when I blogged during Lent. I need to work on that again - but be consistent. God is kind enough to be there for me, I just need to make the time to go forward and be there for GOD!
#7. Organize, unclutter, streamline, purge! A continuing journey to simplify my life both of material possessions and of time commitments
**Wow - great sentiment but not specific enough! While I am working on this and will continue, I CANNOT feel accomplished until I get more specific.
# 8. Continue debt reduction journey. I made significant headway in 2010… I want to end 2011 with only a mortgage, triple my savings, continue to tithe and some improvements to house and property.
** Definitely time for a revision! I've done a lot... and put time and energy into learning about coupons but our business is doing significantly worse and, while debt has not increased, neither has it decreased much. Again, I need to be more specific with my goals.
Things that are stagnant or changing:
#1. Weight, weight, weight! Maintain loss and lose a little more. Tighten and tone…. Develop a daily regimen to stay fit for life! Learn to eat like a thin healthy person.
*I keep working on this.... I have regained half the weight I lost a few years ago - but need to find balance. I still don't know whether I want to be an athlete or not.... right now,I think not. But I need to find the middle ground for health and wellness..... muscle & weight control.
#5. Get back to quilting my own projects and mending the quilts my MIL made for us
* I have done a little - very little. But this will stay on the list because I will enjoy doing it!
These last 3 are related and will definitely change in some way:
#10. Walk Breast Cancer 3Day again - time #4 for a total of 240 miles to fight breast cancer.. 2011 is the Cleveland location.
* I have not raised the required amount of money this year and cannot go to Cleveland in July. I also have not trained so it would not be a good thing anyway. I have very mixed feelings about this since it was a big life goal for me. I do know though - that even with the best of intentions.. I often have a 3-year attention span to most projects. I just didn't think this was one of them - but it might be. I think I might need to allow myself to be myself.
* I have not raised the required amount of money this year and cannot go to Cleveland in July. I also have not trained so it would not be a good thing anyway. I have very mixed feelings about this since it was a big life goal for me. I do know though - that even with the best of intentions.. I often have a 3-year attention span to most projects. I just didn't think this was one of them - but it might be. I think I might need to allow myself to be myself.
#11. Train for and do several races this year.
*I have done 2 races this year but I may be finished for now. The whole weight / exercise thing for life needs to be resolved in my head.. I am not sure where my races & training fit in all of this.
*I have done 2 races this year but I may be finished for now. The whole weight / exercise thing for life needs to be resolved in my head.. I am not sure where my races & training fit in all of this.
#12. Continue dancing!
*I love dancing but have questions about how much & what kind I want to do.
The thing that should have been prioritized in writing is family - something that I hold very high on my personal list that always needs more focus. This is my first ministry and my absolute highest priority.. yet it never made it to my resolution list!
New ideas / challenges that have arrived for me this year:
This blog! The commitment to writing almost daily has been new for me - and a blessing!
I also stumbled onto the crochet dishcloth challenge which intrigued me initially, increase my skill at a hobby I enjoy and, now..... more than 150 dishcloths in, I am loathe to stop :-)
The bread baking exercise has been fun too... and I will be a lot more comfortable in the kitchen by the time I (and all my friends) get tired of fresh bread.
Heading up Vacation Bible School is a blessing and a fantastic boon to my spiritual life. I often find it difficult to go to church and getting involved makes it easier.
How is YOUR year going? Are things happening the way you planned or have things derailed your good intentions? Or are you finding yourself changing as the year goes on... and struggling to keep up? Join me in July as I refine my goals and determine how I want 2011 to end!
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