dolphin43

I have books and tapes on Italian and I found that I did the first tape or first few chapters and then stopped and then came back and did the first tape and first few chapters again. I also don’t like making mistakes.

I think if I just aim to enjoy learning Italian rather than make it a chore where I have to be perfect then I can learn enough for travel in Italy. I met my wife in Italy six years ago and we love to go to different parts of Italy. We aim to go there at least once a year.

To help me learn I have:
> Michel Thomas’ CD’s which are great;
> a programme called Before You Know it from Transparent that shows flash cards in Italian for learning vocabulary on the computer;
> and the BBC site

My goal is to listen to one CD a week; use the flash cards 15 minutes every other day and visit the BBC site once a week.

I first started meditating in 1995. There was a time when I did this twice a day, half an hour each time. In the last few years I got out of the habit. Monday (17 Oct) when I logged in and saw so many people wanting to meditate, I was heartened again. I was working at home that day and I did 25 minutes meditation that morning and evening. So far this week I have managed twice a day. I know that if I continue this will give me the patience and discipline to carry on with my other goals.

I use Christian meditation as described on WCCM. I have also been influenced by Buddhist meditation and have been fortunate to attend talks by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama when they have come to London.

I have books and tapes but it is the actual practice that matters.

I have an hour in the morning between when my wife goes to work and when I have to leave the house. This is an ideal time for my first half hour. For the evening period I can either do this at the end of the day at work or on the tube on the way home.

To keep faithful to the practice I want to rejoin a meditation group and attend at least once a week. I continue on the way.

I am good at setting work goals. I want to set my personal goals to balance my life.

Step 1: I am going to spend time on setting my personal goals and prioritise them.