Welcome To A New Year

Welcome to 2017.

Every year so many make resolutions that fall flat after just a few short days or weeks.  Many gym lovers choose other ways or times to exercise during January because it is so full during January.  We find it is more difficult to find our usual healthy choices in the grocery store because so many go out and get crumbled cauliflower and spinach. We start a reading plan in our Bible or a prayer plan, and within a few days life gets in the way and everything slips to less frequent, and sometime in February we realize we're back to wondering how we fit things in.

Here's the thing. Resolutions don't work!

So, are we resolved to just focus out a way to accept this life, be fat, unfit, disorganized, broke, unspiritual, stuck in the life we have? Absolutely not! Instead of making resolutions, we need to make SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time sensitive.

Specific: Answer who, what, when, where and why
Measurable: How much or how many
Attainable: Is achieving the goal worth your investment into accomplishing the goal
Realistic: While you want to challenge yourself, you also want to ensure your goal can be reached.
Time sensitive: Give a date when you will accomplish your goal.

Saying you want to lose 100 pounds in three months is specific, measurable, and time sensitive, but it is certainly not realistic. Saying you want to save money by the end of the year isn't specific enough.  Every portion of the SMART acronym is important.

In addition to having SMART goals,  you want to have goals that touch each facet of your life.  There are differing opinions on how many and what type of goals you should set. The areas I include in goal setting are Physical and Health, Financial, Spiritual, Family and Relationships, and Personal Development and Education. Remember some goals may crossover into more than one area. (Quitting smoking is good for your health and for your finances, as an example.)

As if all of that isn't daunting enough, it is important to review each goal, and set mini goals. (For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year, you could easily break that into a pound a week. You can check at the end of each week to see your progress.) You also should evaluate each goal for possible pitfalls accomplishing each goal, who might be able to help you accomplish the goals, and what other resources you may need to accomplish your goal.

No matter what remember that your goals should always be written. When you write a goal, you get it out of your head, and you can focus on it.

With all of that said, my goals are still mulling around in my head. So, I need to stop mulling, and start writing. I will share my goals as I work through each step. If you need further help with goals, I suggest Zig Ziglar. My Love for Words has some excellent printable to help with goals. Now, I am going to spend the rest of the day getting my goals on paper.

Looking Forward

2016 has been a year of trials and celebrations.  This year brought my children a birth, a loss, two weddings, a divorce, an acceptance, a baptism, and a turning away. This has been a year that has brought us three changes in companies on the side of our truck. We went through much financial turmoil because of everything, and finally decided to ask for help because of it.

Through it all, I have returned my eyes to seeking Jesus through it all.

However, let's keep it real. I struggle. Each struggle brings other struggles.
I struggle daily with my weight. I struggle with what to eat, when to eat, what to drink, what to plan for eating, etcetera. I struggle with moving. Am I moving enough? Am I moving so much I'll cause myself issues later?

Because of those struggles,  I struggle with my self image. Am I attractive to my husband? Am I portraying the confident woman I want to be?  Am I showing my daughter that she is beautiful? Am I really beautiful on the inside?

I struggle with our business. Am I doing enough? Should I really be doing this? Am I saving enough? Am I prepared for anything that may come up? Are we doing enough to provide for our household? Because of what we do, have I really given enough time to my daughter?

And most of all I struggle within myself. Am I really even seeking God? Am I praying enough? Am I praying correctly? Am I reading enough? Am I reading the right things? Am I listening to the right things? Am I being faithful to God? To my church family? Am I being a godly wife? Mother? Grandmother? 

Are these all my struggles? No. But it is a majority of them. 

Yes, I know in my heart that God is the answer to all of my struggles. However, I can't be the only one who struggles. Am I? However, sometimes I feel like the only one crazy enough to admit my feelings. Sometimes I lack the energy to fake it long enough to make it, because let's face it, faking it takes a lot of energy. 

So, as we bring a close to 2016, and look forward to 2017, I am going to start a new blog about me. This blog will be my reflections on how imperfect I am, reflecting on His word, reflecting on my successes, and sharing what I learn through it all. I have been looking for God everywhere we go, and I'll share things that remind me of His presence. Please remember this is my personal journey. It isn't a reflection on my husband or my family, but a reflection on me. If you don't agree with something I say, feel free to share your opinions, but I will not get in a discussion about the validity of my feelings. If you are truly concerned about me, pray for me. My journey is my own, not yours. My steps are at my pace. 

With all of that said, I am going to bring this to a close and watch the rest of the Clemson game, and then snuggle as the year closes. I pray that through seeking Him the year will be blessed. I hope that sharing my struggles will help someone else who feels alone in their struggles. Thank you for your time and prayers through it all.