Progress - Week 5

I know this is kind of pitiful, but it makes me happy that I can see Lake Michigan from my hotel window (kinda).  That lake is HUGE!  When you look at it, it seems like it's an ocean because you can't see the other side.

Ok - I was excited when I started this series of posts, but now...not so much.  Maybe the title should be (No) Progress.  Ugh!  Alrighty, here's my sad, but true update

Last week:

1. Work: stop procrastinating - do the 'hard' stuff that I have been putting off. End Friday with no more than 25 emails in my inbox. (Nope - didn't achieve this - instead I spent almost 4 solid days working on salary planning - not a bad thing, but not the progress that I'd hoped for - frustrating!)
2. Health: 6 hours of sleep at least 5 times, sign up for weight watchers online and stick to points allowance for the week. (I think I did get 6 hours at least 5 times (YEA!); signed up; what are points?)
3. Home: secure rental house in WI and make all arrangements for the move; send in all relo paperwork. (Paperwork is done!  This finding a place to live is going to make me insane - every time I think I found a place, something happens - it shouldn't be this hard.)
4. Wealth: sort through all mail from home; pay bills; submit all relo expenses. (yes, yes, working on it - at least I've got them all separated out and I can submit them this week.)
5. Head: blog at least three times. (Yes!  at least I'm consistently achieving on this one.)
6. Soul: art journal - 1 page at least; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.  (No, no - no worries here - i'm not beating myself up on this one since I refuse to feel bad about something that is supposed to be fun.)
7. Heart:  grace and gratitude. (I've had better weeks.)

This week - I WILL MAKE PROGRESS!!!!:

1. Have tough discussion that I can't share online.  End Friday with no more than 25 emails in my inbox.
2. 6 hours of sleep at least 5 times; find out what my points allowance is and stick to it for the week.
3. Secure rental house in WI (this is not negotiable - the movers are coming to my house in Dallas at the end of this week and I need to have a place where they can deliver my stuff!) and make arrangements for utilities.
4. Submit all relo expenses.
5. Blog 3 times; art journal - 1 page at least; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.

Progress - Week 3 & 4

Last Week:

I was road-trippin' at this time last week, so I didn't update or set new goals.  I thought about it, and my goal for the week was "survive".  I did, therefore:  SUCCESS!!  :-)

But a quick update on the week before last:

1. Work:  get caught up on email; consolidate and start working on my "To Do" list.  (I think that getting caught up on email may be setting myself up for failure every week - is it possible to every get caught up?  I'm WWWWAAAAAYYYY behind because I took a couple of days off to go home and drive my car back up here.  I was able to consolidate my lists into one, but then I started making more lists. hmmmm....  are seeing a pattern here?)
2. Health:  I’ll commit to getting at least 6 hours of sleep for at least 5 days this week - keepin' it real. (I think I did this, but then last week I didn't do it at all.)
3. Home: put down a deposit on rental; paint lights and vents at home; take care of all necessary relo paperwork; make hotel reservations for trip back; pack up and drive my car back to WI. (Success!!  I did everything except put down a deposit on a rental house.  I wrote the check for a deposit then changed my mind and picked a different house - now I'm just waiting on the owner to tell me where to send the check.)
4. Wealth: pay bills; make sure all relo expenses have been submitted and paid.  (nope - ugh)
5. Head: blog at least three times. (YES!  Did it the week I made the goal for, last week got away from me a bit, but I'm still claiming success on this one!)
6. Soul: finish "special" art project; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals. (Finished project, still no SR2 goals.)
7. Heart: grace and gratitude. (Working on this one every day.)

This week:

1. Work:  stop procrastinating - do the 'hard' stuff that I have been putting off.  End Friday with no more than 25 emails in my inbox.
2. Health:  6 hours of sleep at least 5 times, sign up for weight watchers online and stick to points allowance for the week. (something has gotta change!) 
3. Home: secure rental house in WI and make all arrangements for the move; send in all relo paperwork.
4. Wealth: sort through all mail from home; pay bills; submit all relo expenses. 
5. Head: blog at least three times.
6. Soul: art journal - 1 page at least; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.
7. Heart: grace and gratitude.

Winter

(This is an old picture that I just ran across. It has nothing to do with this post, but I thought it was cool. The reflection of the sun on the window made it look like I was on a different planet.)


Based on my previous whining, it's probably hard to believe, but I think I have secretly been longing for winter. After a hectic holiday, many people talk about the bitter, gray cold of the winter slump, but do you ever get the feeling that winter is intentional?

Once the crazy hustle and bustle, over-indulgence, and over-extension of the holidays are over, don't you need a time of abstinence, when you don't have so many temptations or obligations? This is a time when nature seems to close up shop and the dreary weather encourages you to snuggle in and recover and reflect. It kinds feels like we are given this time to finish up and put away all the stuff from last year so we can start the new year off fresh.  It seems like it's a time for acknowledging and accepting what is and listening as nature tells us to “slow down.”

Nature minimizes the distractions for us. We're being not only invited, but urged, to go inside - inside our homes and inside ourselves. We should be appreciating this dormant period when, like the plants, we can store our energy in preparation for the big bloom in the spring.

It feels like we should purposefully slow down to lay the foundation for the rest of the year. We have the time now to make sure this foundation is solid and level. That it is strong enough and broad enough to hold our dreams and support all that we will build in the coming months.

However, as is typical, once you have set a course, the universe seems to throw up everything it can to distract you from it. I've been under a lot of pressure lately to get things done - at work and at home, but all I want to do is slow down. That is really hard to do in a world that is go, go, go.  I'm sure this is one of the lessons I'm meant to learn...

Progress - Week 2

 

Update on last week:

1. Work: get caught up on email; consolidate and start working on my "To Do" list. (On Tuesday, this looked good, by Friday...disaster! I'm giving myself half credit because I did it, but then didn't maintain. Same goal again this week.)
2. Health: work out at least four times for at least 30 minutes each (start slow - no need to kill myself, I want to create a habit I can keep for the rest of my life without resentment or angst); make good food choices - not too much sugar or salt. (Ditto above - except going to revise a bit this week. I decided to have snacks while I finished Season 2 of Modern Family instead of working out. Good choice? maybe/maybe not....)
3. Home: look at three rental properties (at least) - try to put down a deposit on one for move in on March 1 - if none are good, then find at least three more to see next week; book my flight home for first week in February. (DONE! YEA!!! And I think I found a place!)
4. Wealth: get organized; pay bills; switch the house payment deduction to the new checking account. (Done!)
5. Head: blog at least three times. (Done, and overachieved on this one - YEA!)
6. Soul: finish one art journal page; start "special" art project; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals (finish week 3 assignments). (ARGH - I thought I had this one until I re-read it today - I got the first two done, but didn't finish my SR2 goals.)
7. Heart: grace and gratitude. (I'm a work in progress on this one. This one is really tough, but I'm trying.)

This week:

1. Work: get caught up on email; consolidate and start working on my "To Do" list.
2. Health: I'm not even going to kid myself on this one - I'm going home this week, and then taking a road trip back over the weekend. Instead of the food and the working out, let's start with something simpler that will probably help with the other two - I’ll commit to getting at least 6 hours of sleep for at least 5 days this week - keepin' it real.
3. Home: put down a deposit on rental; paint lights and vents at home; take care of all necessary relo paperwork; make hotel reservations for trip back; pack up and drive my car back to WI.
4. Wealth: pay bills; make sure all relo expenses have been submitted and paid.
5. Head: blog at least three times.
6. Soul: finish "special" art project; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.
7. Heart: grace and gratitude.

New day, new week – embracing the journey – hills and valleys.

Progress

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this brief message:

Have you picked a word for this year?  This seems like a big thing to do in the blog-world.  Last year, because I was a new kid and I wanted to fit in, I picked the word "HEAL", and 2011 was a doozy! I prayed for strength and healing, and the whole year was full of challenges and sickness and pain (physical, fiscal and emotional).  Lucky me!  I got to experience the 'healing' all year long! I'm just sayin', be careful what you ask for...

Now that I've been around the bloggy block a time or two, I'm not quite so eager to jump on this bandwagon.  I don't want to set myself up again, and I certainly don't want to limit 2012 to just one theme. Instead, I'm going to focus on making progress - one step forward at a time ("forward" being the most important part of that sentence).   I don't have a single word for 2012, and I'm really good with that.  I figure, it doesn't matter what I call it, as long as I DO it.

(How's that for making progress already?!)

From here on out, everyday will be Day One - with the same excitement and fresh start that Day One always brings.  And, to keep myself focused on incremental forward  progress (and to force some accountability), every Monday I'm going to post my goals for the week.  Don't expect anything earth shattering - just simple, forward-progress, one-step-at-a-time kinda stuff that hopefully, by the end of 2012, will add up to a happier, more focused, more fulfilled, and more grace-full me. 

I can't imagine why you'd be interested in this particular thread of posts.  However, if you are, I'll also include an update on how I did on last week's goals.  (If you're not interested, then count this as your official warning to avoid my Monday posts.)  :-)

So, here goes... my goals for this week are:

1. Work:  get caught up on email; consolidate and start working on my "To Do" list.
2. Health:  work out at least four times for at least 30 minutes each (start slow - no need to kill myself, I want to create a habit I can keep for the rest of my life without resentment or angst); make good food choices - not too much sugar or salt.
3. Home:  look at three rental properties (at least) - try to put down a deposit on one for move in on March 1 - if none are good, then find at least three more to see next week; book my flight home for first week in February.
4. Wealth:  get organized; pay bills; switch the house payment deduction to the new checking account.
5. Head:  blog at least three times.
6. Soul:  finish one art journal page; start "special" art project; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals (finish week 3 assignments).
7. Heart:  grace and gratitude.

That's it.  Wow!  That seems like a lot of stuff when I write it all down, but imagine how thrilling it will be when I accomplish all of this!  YEAH, BAY-BEEEE!!