A goal within reach

The more I talk to people the more I realize that 2008 has been horribly hard on many. Not just the economic situation, but emotionally, physically, spiritually difficult. Makes me wonder... Is it symptomatic of the U.S. or is it global? Is it an indicator or bigger things to come or is it just the way the year was? I'm not a big end times fanatic - but looking at this year in review makes me think about it a little more. I just try to live my life ready to meet Christ at any point - end of days or just end of my days.

The end of the year makes so many reflective, including me. I like the feeling that beginnings have. I like waking up each morning, knowing it's a new day and I have a chance for a new start. New years are just new days, on a larger scale. I like the idea of making goals - small ones and big ones.

January 2008: I started with a goal to get healthier (what a unique New Year's resolution, huh?! ha ha). But it was one I was determined to do. I had hit an all-time high with my weight and and an all-time low with my self esteem. It was time to view things differently. No longer looking to "diet", but to make better decisions and actually implement knowledge I had about food choices.

My body has changed. It's older than I like to admit, but more than that the lack or hormones and certain body parts has changed more things than I realized about how my body works. This goal was going to be harder than I thought to reach. But I had a new resolve; a determination and mindset I had never had before. And this time, God was going to be part of it every step of the way. Food has a hold on me. I love the taste - love food in general, but the comfort I sought during times of stress, depression, or other emotion was the hold. I needed to learn to take those feelings to God before going to food. That was the change I needed.

Fast forward to December 2008 and I am achieving that goal. I'm still on the journey to completion, but ending the year here is a great feeling. Moving into 2009, the plan is to hit something of an ideal weight and to implement some sort of exercise routine that I'll maintain. It's not that I even hate exercise - it's the time. With a full list of to-do's every day, exercise has not made it to the top of the list. I know it's good and I know why I need to do it, but what I don't know how to do is fit it into a day that's already jam-packed with a sidebar of other things I still want to fit in. Hmmm. That's the juggle right, learning to balance and prioritize?

So I'm finishing up my goal list for 2009. It includes everything: personal health, mental health, spiritual health, stress relief, rewards and fun. But a quick revisit to some mid-year goals I set.

Excerpts from my 2008 list

* Make sure I do something I enjoy at least once a week Not sure if I succeeded as I didn’t track this, but it was a good effort
* Build up my savings account Still working on this, but another good effort in progress
* Find a mentor/Be a mentor Not sure how you go about “finding” a mentor, but I have wonderful accountability friends in my life, so I guess they serve in this capacity. And I LOVE mentoring/coaching a group of six young teen girls.
*Excel at project management Learning something new every day, but hopefully am making a good effort here too.
* Organize my personal papers Not the way I had intended. So this one’s getting moved to my first quarter goals for ’09.
* Take a spiritual inventory of my life. This has been a work in progress too '08 has been an incredible year of drawing close to God, seeing weaknesses in self and working on those, and also seeing some strengths that He has given me.
* Participate in a paint gun "war" It was too hot for so long and then when it finally cooled off it seemed the year was over. So this is moving to early 09 too.
* Photograph the harvest moon. Miss. So bummed. But I’ve already got ‘09’s on my calendar! And I’m hoping to photo it in Albuquerque while attending the balloon festival there. How cool would that be!
* See the Olympic Torch being carried (Done! We saw the runners while vacationing in Oregon. It was so cool!)
* Buy a painting (or other art) from a starving artist. Haven’t been presented an opportunity, which is good because I haven’t really had the funds. It’s still something I’d like to do.
* Drink a bottle of wine that's as old as I am (on my birthday). Eek – until I found out how expensive an old bottle of wine is! Ha ha. Maybe on my 40^th. So this goal is getting moved to 2010.
* Be surprised by my child. Continually. I love my boy.
* Rappel down a mountain. Getting moved to ’09 as this is something I would love to do.