“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis
My year has definitely not gone the way I had originally planned it, but life seldom goes according to plan, so I am not too worried about it. I am starting from scratch with my goals, and with the new start comes a new plan of action! Anyone can set goals, but very few people set about forming a plan to achieve their goals. That was my problem before, I had the goals and a rough plan, but I was easily swayed from my plan to help with other things that seemed more important. I repeatedly put the needs of others (and it was always for very good reason) in front of my own needs, and this led to me resenting those people (especially when they were too blind to see what other people were sacrificing for them) and to completely failing at what my intended goals were. My amazing husband and I have since sat down and had several conversations about what WE want to accomplish and set out a plan to do so (and he will happily reign me in if other people start sucking me back in, again).
Personal Goals
This is our summer schedule! Hubby and I realized that one of the biggest issues around here is the complete lack of a schedule for the household. I had a calendar of events for myself and the Avon Walk fundraising events, but time with my kids and husband was often sacrificed to do other things (fliers, donation jars, talking to local businesses, making posters, etc.). We didn't want anything overly strict, so this was a fun compromise that has form and flexibility. We built in 'family time' each day (realizing that not all 4 of us will always be home) to guarantee we all spend time together at least three days a week. Our weekends are left 'open' on the schedule to accommodate a variety of things we have planned for the summer - restorative sessions at the salt caves, hiking in state parks, tipi camping, Cirque Shanghai, and much more!
This is our summer schedule! Hubby and I realized that one of the biggest issues around here is the complete lack of a schedule for the household. I had a calendar of events for myself and the Avon Walk fundraising events, but time with my kids and husband was often sacrificed to do other things (fliers, donation jars, talking to local businesses, making posters, etc.). We didn't want anything overly strict, so this was a fun compromise that has form and flexibility. We built in 'family time' each day (realizing that not all 4 of us will always be home) to guarantee we all spend time together at least three days a week. Our weekends are left 'open' on the schedule to accommodate a variety of things we have planned for the summer - restorative sessions at the salt caves, hiking in state parks, tipi camping, Cirque Shanghai, and much more!
I started a blog awhlie ago that focused on outings our family took - but between dealing with the corn allergy and fundraising for the Barbie's Rack Attack, it completely fell to the wayside. I have decided to tweak the blog a bit to incorporate dealing with my daughter's corn allergy (which impacts everything we choose to do) and start up blogging on a weekly basis - even if I am just posting a recipe that I have adjusted to be corn free. Between making time for blogging and allowing myself time once a week to either meditate (I am terrible at shutting off my mind) or to do a restorative yoga class, I will be less stressed and better able to focus on the other things in my life. I often forget that taking 'me' time helps to make me less of a bitch (which my husband really appreciates).
Health Goals
While my overall goal regarding my health is to lose weight, I am setting smaller (more attainable) goals that focus on being active and more conscious of what I eat (vs staring at the scale). Since I have been know to go down 2-3 sizes when only dropping 10 pounds, the scale is not always the best reflection of my progress. Instead, I am starting to keep a food journal - much like the one I keep for my daughter to monitor her corn allergy - to help control what I eat and to monitor if I have any reactions to certain foods (allergies and food intolerance can attribute to mood swings, weight gain, skin problems, etc). In addition to keeping the food journal, I have decided to make swimming a weekly goal. I am still taking lessons to help me with proper form for swimming laps - but I have already noticed an increase in my endurance and love the way I feel after an hour in the pool. I have already signed up for the 2014 Chicago Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so I feel it is in my best interest to keep up with walking regularly. Having two small children makes it difficult to get distance walks in regularly (they are too big for a stroller these days, and pulling a wagon is not conducive to power walking), but if I get in short distances daily and get at least one distance walk in each month I should stay in pretty good form.
So, that is where I am at for now. I will be depending heavily on other Getting There bloggers and my husband to keep on me about posting regularly and staying on task. Once we get accustomed to following this routine, I will set a few more small goals and progress from there. Looking at the goals from a health perspective vs a weight perspective may prove to be the better way for me to be successful.
Health Goals
While my overall goal regarding my health is to lose weight, I am setting smaller (more attainable) goals that focus on being active and more conscious of what I eat (vs staring at the scale). Since I have been know to go down 2-3 sizes when only dropping 10 pounds, the scale is not always the best reflection of my progress. Instead, I am starting to keep a food journal - much like the one I keep for my daughter to monitor her corn allergy - to help control what I eat and to monitor if I have any reactions to certain foods (allergies and food intolerance can attribute to mood swings, weight gain, skin problems, etc). In addition to keeping the food journal, I have decided to make swimming a weekly goal. I am still taking lessons to help me with proper form for swimming laps - but I have already noticed an increase in my endurance and love the way I feel after an hour in the pool. I have already signed up for the 2014 Chicago Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so I feel it is in my best interest to keep up with walking regularly. Having two small children makes it difficult to get distance walks in regularly (they are too big for a stroller these days, and pulling a wagon is not conducive to power walking), but if I get in short distances daily and get at least one distance walk in each month I should stay in pretty good form.
So, that is where I am at for now. I will be depending heavily on other Getting There bloggers and my husband to keep on me about posting regularly and staying on task. Once we get accustomed to following this routine, I will set a few more small goals and progress from there. Looking at the goals from a health perspective vs a weight perspective may prove to be the better way for me to be successful.