I can't believe it! It is October already!! My last post was January 1st, 2010! Oh the promise of a new year! The promises I made for changes in my life. Like the green in the leaves of the trees, these promise are losing their freshness and slowly fading with each passing day. However, they haven't totally dried up yet and there is still time!
Some of the promises, goals, or resolutions I made on January 1 were:
1. Reading a least one new book each month. I am almost through with one! Eleven and a half to go!
2. Scrap booking a page a week. I have set my tables up and got my pictures out twice to start this and had to put them away when people visited, moved in, etc. As I see it, I have 52 pages to do before the end of the year. Time to set up the tables again, get organized and get to it.
3. Lose weight, exercise, and stop bad habits. Each year I throw these in. I need to, I want to, I should. My excuse is that with my line of work and being in the car almost all day, it is hard to find good food that I can eat in the car on the run. I know I could pack a lunch, but that would require planning ahead, preparation work, etc. Heck, most nights I am just too tired from working 10+ hours to fix supper, exercise or pack a lunch. Why can't they come up with a Fast Food Diet that really works? I am sure after tomorrows Doctor's visit I will seriously be working on this goal for the rest of the year.
4. Write. As you can see by all the blogs I have posted this year, I have not been doing this. I can give many excuses as to why I haven't, and some legitimate ones, but truthfully, I do not have any really good excuses. I say I don't have the time. Part of that is true, but I have the time to sit and be on Facebook, play games or watch TV. All mindless activities that does not enrich my life or others. Nor does it take me on the path that God has laid out for me. My other reason for not doing this is fear. Fear that it won't be good enough, or blah, blah, blah. Nonsense. My Mom used to have a pillow that was a lady with her hands on her hips saying "Snap out of it!" I need to be hit over the head with that pillow. I so need to snap out of it and get moving again. Thus, this entry on my blog. There have been many times during this year that I knew I needed to write to help me work through a situation. Many times I felt the urging to write, but I just didn't. Today, I will no longer ignore the urging and I will work towards achieving this goal for the year. Keep me accountable!
I have more, but I won't bore you. What I did post on this blog on January 1st were a list of questions. Questions to help myself and others to really focus on what the fresh year could bring to help myself and others to set goals for the year. Let's review what the questions were and how I answered them.
What would you like to be your biggest triumph in 2010? Hmmm, that is a good one. I'll get back to you on that one. Truthfully, I believe my biggest triumph was to go and enjoy my son's wedding without letting the treatment from my ex, his family and the judgements of those attending effect my happiness and joy of this wonderful event. By the grace of God this was accomplished. It took much prayer through out the year to work through some of the feelings and struggles I have in this area. However, I repeat, by the grace of God, He helped me and it was a beautiful day that I will always cherish.
What advice would you like to give yourself in 2010? To stop procrastinating. Do it now. Don't wait. Do your best now and stop putting things off.
What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results in 2010? Getting Curtis a job. Happy to report that he has landed a job with a company that works year round. PRAISE GOD! After 5 long months, and 8 months prior to his 6 month deployment last year, it has been a very dry spell. But God provided through out, even when we had no clue as to where we were going to come up with the funds to pay certain expenses. Prayerfully with this job we will be able to get out of the pit we have been in and be better stewards of what He gives us.
What would you be most happy about completing in 2010? At the beginning of the year I would have said I would be most happy to have completed something that would be published. At this time of the year I will be most happy to get my house in order. Organize, toss, fix up, etc. I still would like to be able to publish something, too.
What would you most like to change about yourself in 2010? At the beginning of the year I wanted to lose weight. I still believe I can lose some before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, 2010.
What are you looking forward to learning in 2010? What God has planned for my life.
What do you think your biggest risk will be in 2010? I don't have an answer for this. It could be that once Curtis did get a job, I would have to decide how to go about not working so hard. I really don't want to be working as hard as I have been. I want to follow the path I feel God is leading me to go down and I believe I need more time to be able to do this. Current working situation doesn't allow for a whole lot of extra time.
What about your work, are you most committed to changing and improving in 2010? I don't want to work so hard any more. (I think I just said that.) I know God has a plan for my life, but because Curtis was not employed, I haven't been able to let up in this area. I do praise God for the work He provided when we needed it. I miss being able to lead groups during the week day, or attend Bible studies, or take a class, or being available to help someone in need, etc. I have not been able to do this in the last couple of years. I miss it and it is having a profound effect on my spiritual and emotional life, thus having a profound effect on my entire life. I need to put Him first, work for Him and not work so hard.
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in 2010? Easy, writing. Second would be creativity in painting, photography, etc. I have the urge to explore art.
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2010? What brings me the most joy is helping others, teaching others, especially women who suffer from codependency like I do. So many ladies do not realize that they are codependent and have no idea how to work on getting better. I miss not being able to help in this area like I use to. I miss helping others know that what they seek in others, or drugs, or alcohol, or whatever, they can find in our Father God. That our Father loves us for who we are, where we are, no matter what and is waiting for us to come back to Him. I get the most joy out of being able to help others realize this.
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2010? My husband, Curtis and my sons, Andy, Doug & Alex. Curtis is a blessing from God. He loves me for who I am and not what I can do for him or get for him. Being committed to love and support my sons just come natural for me.
What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2010? Last year my word was integrity. This yearI have not come up with a word to be my theme. Perhaps it should be regroup! Maybe this is something I can work on.
Yes, it is October already and in taking a review of what I had planned at the first of the year and where I am now, I haven't been doing too good. There is one quarter left in this year. I know that by taking a review that now I can begin to work on the areas I set forth several months ago. What I really want to get across is that it is never too late to set goals, make resolutions, or question where you are in life. You can start again and work on the goals you have set for your life. It is never too late. You don't have to wait for the New Year, birthday or special event to start setting new goals in your life and following through. I encourage you today to go for it! Pick yourself up, dust yourself and your resolutions or goals off, and start again. You can do it! As my Mom's pillow says, "Snap out of it!" and get moving!
