I saw this quote on Pinterest today that said something to the effect that God put eyes in the front of our heads so we would look forward, not back. While that is pretty good advice, sometimes you have to look back to evaluate where you've come from, see what kind of progress you have made, and determine what steps to take so you can more productively move forward.
I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been too focused on setting my goals for the new year. I'll be honest... I haven't even thought about them. I've kind of had other things on my mind. But, I have been thinking about the goals I set for myself last year, and wanted to evaluate myself on those before I earnestly plan ahead for the new year.
1. Weight management/Fitness
This has always been an issue for me. I was not overweight in my teen years, but I was never the skinny-minny, either. It's been a long time, though, since I was happy with the way I looked. "Lose weight" has always been on my new year's resolution list, but this past year I wanted to focus more on being healthy that just losing weight. It's been a tough year for me, health wise. I've had some scares with my health, but thankfully they turned out to be nothing more than scares. I do think, though, that those scares helped me focus on this goal a little more. I definately worked harder this year to be healthier. I lost 30 pounds this year! I ate better, excersized more, and felt better. I was able to buy some new pants for myself in December that were 2 and 3 sizes smaller than the last pants I bought for myself.
2. Leave work stress at work - don't bring it home
I hope I did better with this. I think I did better during the first part of the year than the latter end. I tend to let things get to me way too much, and then I bring home the stress and take it out on my family. I'm trying harder to let go of the stress. I still need to improve on it, though.
3. Let go of negativity
This kind of goes along with #2. When I made this goal, I found myself really being a "Negative Nelly", and I hated that. I remember having a friend in Nashville that was this way, and after a while it became really draining to be around her. I found myself being that type of person, and decided that I needed to change. I haven't felt as negative, so I am hoping that I've not seemed that way towards others.
4. Stamp more
Yeah... this one totally flopped! I love to stamp. Rubber stamping has been a hobby of mine for around 20 years. I can't draw a straight line, but stamping let me be creative without having to worry about that! I really enjoy card making. I actually had purpose behind this goal, which tied in with number 5...
5. Listen to promtings of the Spirit and ACT!
So, here is my little story. After a great church meeting, I heard that one of the leaders of this meeting was having a hard time in her calling. I thought that I needed to send her a card, expressing my appreciation for her efforts, and letting her know that she was doing a great job. Then I realized that I would need to make a card, since I didn't have any extra's around the house. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't get a card made, let alone sent. That really made me feel guilty, and I realized that if I set a goal to stamp more, then I would have things like that on hand for any occassion. Then I realized how often I feel prompted to do something, and just don't do it... not because I don't want to do it, but I find that I either get busy with something else, or honestly just forget that it needs to be done. I'm sorry to say that I didn't do so well with this goal, either. Something else to work on in the coming year.
We made a goal as a family to engage in at least one service opportunity each month. We did ok with this. We did do one act of service in the community together. My parents provided many opportunities for service, and we found ourselves doing more things there than anywhere else. I'm happy that we could help them, and I see many more service opportunities with them in the future. However, I would also like to find things in our community that we can help with.
So, now it's time for me to earnestly think about my goals for the upcoming year. What changes do I need to make to be a better person? What kind of things do I want to accomplish? What goals do I want to set to help me grow, or challenge myself? Hmmm... time to think! I'll post those soon!
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