Goal Post

Perhaps it's just that time of year and that's why they've been so readily available, but during these past few days I've read some very good articles on planning and organizing for goals...and slowly a strategy is forming in my mind.  One of my friends has her goal-strategy down pat; she plans from the end result backward.  Using a spreadsheet, she can name the end goal, then work backwards to fill in the parts and pieces that need to happen in order for her to get to that goal.  Great idea- scares me to death.  But yet I can feel the "floaty-ness" starting already, just 6 days out from my epiphany on New Year's Eve.  The resolve already has a crack in the very outmost edge, and if I'm not careful, it'll make inroads faster than a run in my stocking on a Sunday morning in church. 

    The weight loss goal shouldn't be too difficult to plan for - it's just keeping my head in the game and paying attention every single moment of every single day to every single morsel that enters my mouth. That shouldn't be hard to remember.  My next biggest hurdle is the online classes I'd like to take.  Usually after working all day, the last thing I feel like doing in the evening is sitting down to concentrate on something with my undivided attention, but as I've discussed with myself in the not too distant past, if I don't invest something, I will get nothing.  Aim low and I'm sure to hit my mark every time.   So the way I see it is this- my daughter returns to college in two weeks, and once she's gone I can stake my claim to her room and set up evening school in there.  That takes the pressure off of trying to find the time to do it now with three kids still home and me just getting back into the swing of being back to work and juggling everything else. And I can know that come January 18th, I have a quiet space I can call my own (til she comes home for the weekend...) 

The writing non-goal is still floating around in my head.  How do I approach that this year?  Do I make goals for my writing, or do I just let it happen as it may?  (see above for "aim low" comment...)   I found a great blog post today about specifically making and carrying out writing goals.  You can find it at http://wannabepublished.blogspot.com/2009/12/writing-craft-set-meet-goals.html .
I am thinking that rather than having no writing goals at all or going to the other extreme of naming my goal as "I'll write 3 picture book manuscripts this year",  I'll take the post's idea of a daily/weekly word count goal and approach it that way. The manuscripts can be my secondary goal - what naturally flows out of the more general writing. But I realize that leaving it "out there" and ambiguous, I'll have no way to measure if I've really accomplished anything or not towards my craft.

So, there are a few ramblings about my New Year's endeavors.  I can say that I have three clear goals for 2010- weight loss, online classes, and writing.  Here's another great idea- you can email yourself your goals to be tucked safely away and emailed back to you on December 31st, 2010.  Think mini-time capsule.  Check it out here - http://www.anthonyfernando.com/2010/01/05/new-year-resolutions-with-a-twist/  .  I think I'll go write myself a letter.

An Honest Post for the New Year

I read this quote in an email yesterday in reference to the New Year-"May you find the perfect diet for your soul." It hit me like a ton of bricks and really resonated with me; along with finding the perfect diet (which I don't believe exists), I had been thinking a lot about what I'm looking for mentally - what my soul longs for - in this new year of 2010.

In my thinking- which was mostly done while driving a car, but that is where some of the best thinking is done - a light bulb went on in my head. I realized I don't set any goals for myself and actually achieve them. Or if I do set some, I tend to let them slip and never get around to finishing what I've started. I'm the queen of incompletion; I love to start with a big idea, make a couple of inroads, but often it doesn't go any further than that. Which brought me to my next point. I let myself down all the time; I am a constant disappointment to myself that I can't stick to something more than a few days, a few hours, a few weeks. Most of all this relates to the area of food, but there are some other things I also wish I could have done that I've not pursued.

I often look at others (with great disappointment in myself) who have achieved goals that I long for - those who have set out to lose weight and have really done it (and kept it off), teachers around me who have taken courses and completed them, gotten or furthered their degrees and gone to school after work and at night and at impossible times that with working all day and a family they shouldn't even be able to squeeze in the time for.

I wrote in my journal last night that I'm thinking I don't push myself very much. I want to see accomplishments in my life, but I don't carve out time to make them happen. I am determined that 2010 will be different, and this time I am convinced it can be because I've identified a root problem. I want results without putting any effort forth toward them. I cannot have it both ways.

Then, of course my mind gets all sorts of goals going, and I think whoa, slow down...if I take on 5 lofty things, I'll end up disappointing myself again because I'll have too much on my plate and won't accomplish any of them, either.

So I've narrowed it down to just one or two things I'd like to see happen in my life, and feel that I've been able to crystalize what I've been mulling over in my head instead of being mentally all over the place. God helped me to see clearly what's important to me and for me. And even tho a lot of my passion recently has been geared toward developing the craft of writing in my life, I don't feel the need to name "writing" as a goal, because it is something I love to do (like I'm doing now) and I don't need to remind myself to do it. Other goals- like losing weight and taking online classes- are going to need my full attention.

These are my thoughts on January 1, 2010. A couple of good quotes I saw online this morning that speak to these issues -

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life." Greg Anderson

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them."- Orison Swett Marden

December 31, 2010, will come in 364 days whether I've accomplished my goals or not. What would I like to be able to say I've done when that night comes around and I'm reflecting back on the year that I'm just about to start?

Soul Food

I read the most wonderful sentiment this afternoon for ushering in the new year of 2010. It said, "May you find the perfect diet for your soul." I had never exactly thought of it quite like that, but realized immediately that that is what I am seeking for this next set of 365 days.

Out of all the things we could be/should be endeavoring to take on, change, or be for 2010, perhaps finding the perfect diet for our soul should be first on our list. Granted, some of us are already being force-fed parts of this diet that we didn't realize were included with the original meal plan. Health, finances, and losses beyond our control factor into our lives and can sometimes unbalance the perfection we long to have.

But yet there is a peace, a joy which we can have when we know to Whom our soul belongs, and when we acknowledge from whence our perfect, prescribed diet originates. God put the soul in each one of us - He made you you. He already has the perfect diet for your soul on His majestic menu, and He's just waiting for you to order it up. Why not ask Him tonight to lay out His spread before you in this up and coming year, and see if it isn't a different year than you had imagined.

Decorated

Today found me decorating the house for Christmas- a job that starts out just fine, but ends up making a big mess before it gets better. Although it does get me to cleaning very thoroughly. Underneath all of the greenery and decor are very clean windowsills, room corners and baseboards.

My wonderful husband had the tree up and lit before I even got out of bed this morning. The rest of the day found me hauling out heavy strands of ornament-laden garland to hang in the windows, adorning my dining room table with every kind of snowman known to the season before I divided them up into their new living spaces, and tucking little springs of white berries wherever I could fit them in.

It was a fun day.

Winner Takes a Prize

Remember this picture on my blog in November?

Well as of today, I have another one to proudly display!

Not only was I a "winner" because everyone was who thought up thirty new picture book ideas during the month of November, I also won a signed book by Karma Wilson through a random drawing. Very exciting! She is one of my favorite children's book authors.

You can read about it here - http://taralazar.wordpress.com/

Fun, fun fun. Don't you just love when the unexpected happens and it's GOOD for a change???

The Holidays

Oy vey the holidays....even though it's only December 7th, I find myself scurrying in my brain with a huge list of things to do in preparation for the up and coming December 25th Christmas event. And why, I wonder?? Shopping is easier this year, we're going artificial with the tree, and we've not bothered to consume raw ingredients from Christmas cookie dough for the longest time.


So why the stress? It's tradition, I suppose. I remind myself, "it's still early, it's still early, it's still early" like a mantra so as not to send myself into a tailspin panic. My word, the Thanksgiving leftovers are barely cold but as soon as the month with the capital D hits we are immediately thrown into merry maniac mode.


I admit I'm getting sucked into the maelstrom that seems to derail me every year from enjoying the true reason for the season (excuse the overused rhyming cliche, but it works). As I go through my day making my list and checking things off at least twice, I do manage to feel more organized and on top of things if I get a few things done daily towards my ultimate goal that lands me at the manger on Christmas Day, presents unwrapped and turkey in the oven. Like starting for the umpteenth time on a diet, I vow, again this year, to not let all the hustle and bustle of the season get to me, but to slow down and enjoy the goings-on about me, seeing each day like another little paper door on an Advent calendar opening to show what surprise is waiting for me inside.

God created Christmas, but I'm not sure He bargained on the whole holiday rush thing we've got going on. See what you can do this year to make it less stressful and more Jesus-full. Drop a comment here and let us know what you're doing to slow down a bit so we can all learn from one another!

My 48th

65 and sunny is the weather forecast for today - I don't get many birthdays on December 3rd that have a weather prediction quite as nice as that one. Feeling the warm morning air, I couldn't resist - I grabbed my camera and spent some time this morning doing what I love to do - taking photos in the early morning light and reflecting on the day, the past year, and the year ahead.

Birthdays are to a life what Mondays are to a diet- a fresh finish, a new start, a time to regroup and forge ahead. It's good once a year to take stock of where we've come from and where we are going (hopefully).

I am feeling better about myself in the late 40's than maybe I have all my life. I can stand tall,

knowing that I am content with me, who I am, and who I'm (still) becoming. Enough with first impressions and worrying about the small stuff- it feels good to be surer of myself now than when I was in my 20's or even 30's at times.

I live surrounded by a lot of love....

....and am so thankful for the family and friends that indwell my life and my heart.

I will strive in this next year to live simply, love completely, and learn continually. That truly is the best kind of life.

And, as always, my dad's words echo in my ears every time I have a birthday. He never let us forget that although on that particular day you were a certain age (48), you were now entering the next numerical year of your life ("You're now in your 49th year").

In a way to honor that and launch something new, today I'm starting another blog called, aptly, "The 49th year". It will be a daily photo that I've taken to represent that day with a caption somedays, and perhaps no writing at all other days. I'd love to have you come along on a photographic journal of my 49th year if you wish to do so - you can find it here http://the49thyear.blogspot.com .

Let's enjoy the journey together.