Make 2009 My Best Year Yet

I’m practically giddy going into my favorite season. Sept-Oct-Nov are my months of rich sunshine, fall color, and festivals, and always the feeling of potential.

Previously, I tried to recap the preceding month, in order to gauge progress. Today, I just want to let that rest. For September, I just want to move joyfully forward, learning and loving and growing.

I am really looking ahead to a great second half of the year!

G1 Taking care of myself

• My sleep is pretty good these days.
• I joined SparkPeople. It is a super program. i just need to be determined and committed to myself.
• I take my supplements daily: Multivite, B complex, ginsing, gingko, and fish oil
• I need more exercise.
• I need to journal to sort out some head stuff.

G2 Home of love and light

• Our house cleaning routine is better.
• The garden is starting to bloom.
• Darling 3 is still in Spain. I think this was a good, loving investment.
• I need to work on a solid home improvement and repair budget.

G3 Manage money

• Still elusive
• Oddly enough, I’m thinking of taking a few days off at the end of the month to pay bills and straighten out a budget. My schedule is flexible that way.

G4 Creative self

• I bought the supplies for the candle holders. Someone talked me out of making them. I think i might do it anyway.
• I’m toying with the idea of making mosaic tiles.
• This BYY goal always sparks my desire to create. Now I just need to follow through.

G5 Reach a little farther to make the world a better place

• I contributed to h.g.~’s library in Nepal
• I am a habitual recycler
• I want to send some books to BetterWorldBooks

G6 Ideal Career

• I’m still looking for opportunities
• I’m preparing for the med-surg nursing certification exam
• I’ll probably stick with this job until June 2010, because the flexibility in my schedule helps me be able do family things.

G7 Improve my social life

• Went out to lunch once with a friend
• Went to book club
• Went to a friend’s anniversary party
• Had friends over once.

All in all, a pretty darn good month!

Piddley progress for May.

G1 Taking care of myself:

• My two little funny runs were good and I need to re-engage in this activity. The weather has been good, so no excuses.
• I worked more in May. Not good self care.
• I did go to the Botanical Garden a couple of weeks ago. That gave me a spark. Maybe I need to plan something simple and fun on a weekly basis.
• I’m considering Weight Watchers. Maybe SparkPeople.
• I can’t seem to make up my mind or stick with anything.

G2 Home of light and love:

• The Darlings seem be doing well. They go to work, play with their friends, and help at home :)
• My garden is buggy and weedy and not blooming yet…patience is needed.
• I need to get my car repaired and the pipe in the bathroom fixed. Time and money is needed.
• We need a group effort for Father’s Day. Darling 3 will be in Spain, and I have to work all weekend. I need to make my honey feel wonderful, but I haven’t got a plan yet.

G3 Manage money

• Always beyond me. I need to try again.

G4 Creative self

• I have some ideas for some hanging candle holders for the front porch. I need to go to the craft store today.

G5 Reach a little farther for a better world.

• I need to do something, not just consider doing something.
• I guess making bouquets for the senior soccer players was a little something.

G6 Ideal career

• I won’t be changing jobs until Darling 3 graduates from high school(June of 2010).
• I’m happy to have a well paying, flexible job.

G7 Improve my social life

• I am planning on going to book club this month. The selection is Three Cups of Tea, which I have enjoyed reading.
• I need to work on this with a more open mind. I think I’ll work on this and make entries under the actual goal.

• My haircut was a big boost
• Taking time off work to go to my darling’s soccer games and enjoy them was a good choice in self care..
• Big new focus for May: Manage my anxiety. I notice that I am highly anxious before going to work, for as long as a whole day before work. What a mess. Anxiety wears me out and causes my thinking to become foggy. I must deal with this! So, I want to work with sleep, exercise, yoga, meditation, diet, and hydration. I need to move my anxiety to a good and rational use – maybe heightened awareness.

• I’m working hard to encourage those Darlings, but carefully.
• The house mess isn’t too bad, but for me it could always be better.
• The garden is coming along nicely!

• Tracked my spending for half the month, and then it fell apart. I’ll just try again.
• Eating at home much more often.

• Gardening is also part of this.
• I really want to do more, revisit the idea of making time for creativity at least once a week.

• I recycle consistently.
• I might try to consciously do something extra at least once a week.

• Learned EMR – now practice so that I can be a super user.
• Need to learn ACLS.
• Got some resume tips from a friend. I need to polish!

• Facebook has connected me with my college friends from 25 years ago. That is very good.
• Book club. It went well. I’m staying with it.
• I’m going to Jane’s birthday party tonight.

It was an odd combination of things, work, the economy, my Business Writing class, my attitude. The end of February and all through March life felt so heavy. No real blame. It’s just where I was. So, I’m shedding this weight. I’m going outside. It is time to set wing.

Take care of myself

Lost 7 pounds when I was away from work.
Only one walk which was quite enjoyable, so i should work on this.
Doing stretches which helps immensely. Do yoga next.
Inconsistent healthy eating. It’s a start.

Home of Love and Light

Started seedlings. I’m very excited about this.
Some concentrated cleaning, but I need to really push this hard.
The birds are well fed.
Keep lovin’ that Hubby and those Darlings.

Money

Good progress with budget book.
I need to discipline myself to pick up more work.

Creative Self

Some ground work for collage and vision board

Better World

Donated to Simply Stacey (Stacey Donovan) for the Oceans of Mercy 10K.
Donated some used clothing to the Kidney Fund.

Career

Business Writing- could have done better.
Took a class about diabetes.

Social Life

Nothing much

For my April plans, I might put entries under the specific goals.

• weight loss – oh, how I need to do this
• exercise – need a daily routine
• floss is fine
• need to consciously positive self talk
• work has been mega-stressful – I need to refocus on sleep and add in some relaxation techniques, maybe yoga!
• Bicycle again in March!

• Keep up cleaning and order
• Broken dryer has worked to my advantage…
• More home cooked meals
• I’m less snarky
• For March – start on the garden.

• Did not keep good track in Feb. So far March is better with a budget book.

• Much neglected in Feb. Maybe, make a weekly creativity date for myself in March.

• Recycle going well
• Really must accelerate my charity donations and fabric recycle. Goal: 8 bags before April.

• Taking Business Writing class. I need to get caught up.
• Check craigslist weekly – going well
• Need to rework my resume in March.
• Maybe apply for a job that I may like, but not be heavily emotionally invested in.
• CEU’s
• Research alternatives through allnurses.com

• Had people over once. I was very tired, so it was so-so.
• Missed book club due to it being “full”. I will miss it again this month because of work. I will make a definite effort for April, which means rsvp’ing soon after March 8.
• Going to try really hard to go to the St. Pat’s day parade with Niel and Flirt in KC.

• Spiritual reading – going well
• Going to church – going well
• Meditation time – going fairly well

On purpose, I only stated seven top goals for 2009. This left room to add goals as I saw necessary. Some important areas for me right now are home/possession maintainance and nurturing my spiritual life.

I’m a complete wreck as far as maintainance, a real fluff brain. I need to get my oil changed, my car fixed, my roof repaired…these tie in with my money management. My issues abound in this area. First, I just have to get a grip.

Looking at my spiritual life, I just have to follow what is right for me. It’s pretty personal, but very important.

For now, I am just going to let these goal ideas simmer…

• Increased teeth flossing is down pat
• Didn’t loose the weight, but I’m not too discouraged
• Mostly sleeping well and I mostly feel pretty darn good!
• I didn’t keep good track. I’m sure it was not six times.
• Funny how I have neglected something so simple.
  For Feb:
• Continue floss and sleep
• Lose 5 pounds
• Exercise 8 times
• Positive self talk daily
• Get hair trimmed and brows waxed (I always feel good after I do these things)
• Watch my attitude – no snarky, no complaining, sit when talking to Honey, look for opportunities for improvement.
• Apply techniques from Health Seeker’s Handbook.
  Home of Love and Light
  Not met kitchen challenge. This really can be done, oh, yes it can!
  For Feb:
• Daily clean kitchen
• Monitor my communication style with my family.
  Manage money
  I need to reinvest in tracking expenses daily and using a spread sheet.
  For Feb:
• Use the downloaded spread sheet weekly
• Continue to try to keep track of expenses daily.
  Creative self
  I enjoyed journalling in January, and will continue in February. I will not add on new creative commitments this month.
  For Feb:
• Journal 15 times in February
  Better world
  My accomplishment was not good during January
  For Feb:
• Four bags of clothing either recycled or to charity
• One bag of books to a place in need
  Career
  Started out with enjoyable research, but petered out later in the month.
  For Feb:
• Sign up for business writing class and diabetes class (on Friday, Feb 6)
• Check craigslist weekly, just to see what is out there
• Schedule work time off for EKG class and ACLS class in the spring.
  Social Life
  I attended book club and loved it. I’m feeling stagnant about calling a friend to go to lunch.
  For Feb:
• The book club meeting is full, so not this month.
• I need to do some thinking about why I don’t ask a friend to lunch, and either do it or don’t. The goal is to ask a friend to lunch twice a month
• Contact one old friend this month

This goal is one of my favorites. I’m raring to go!

I’m trying to hone my strategies. This might take a bit of work and time. End of January plan:

Taking care of myself
* increase flossing to average 10x/wk
* lose 3 pounds
* sleep an average of seven hours nightly
* exercise 6 times
* positive self talk every day

Home of love and light
* daily keep kitchen clean

Manage money
* daily track expenses
* initiate spreadsheet

Creative self
* journal 9 times

Better world
* donate clothes and books to kidney fund
* really find a place to donate old books and magazines. Really

Career
* explore craigslist weekly
* review resume
* find classes for EKG, ACLS, diabetes: sign up and request time off
* sign up for business writing class

Social life
* book club
* call R to invite her to lunch

Right now I am only working on seven main “goals”. I’m happy with leaving room for more goals to make 2009 My Best Year Yet. I love flexibility.