Wednesday, January 12, 2011

New Year - New Focuses

I absolutely love a new year! This year I decided to make a list of 10 objectives to complete for this year. Call them resolutions, goals, focuses, whatever. I am going to share that list with you and then share a bit with you about what has been happening since I have started working on these focuses. So, while it may be a bit lengthy, read through the end!


1) To hit my healthy weight goal - 157
This is 75 pounds from where I am. BUT based on an average weekly loss of
1.5 I think this is doable. I am excited about this because it is my most difficult
resolution this year.
2) To create and perfect the household budget
Right now the budget is in my head - lol! I am actually going to get it into a
spreadsheet and perfect it through the upcoming months. I want to be able to
start saving a considerable amount each month rather than blowing it.
Just a side note - if I don't emotionally eat - I emotionally spend!
3) Cook more at home and to cook healthier at home.
I love to cook - it actually calms me. I want my family to eat healthier and I can
control that when I am in charge in the kitchen. This plugs into resolution 1 and
2 as well. Cooking more and healthier will help my weight loss and our budget.
4) Try a new food or a new recipe each week.
If I am going to cook more at home - I need to add to my menu!
5) Get back into going to church on Wednesday night and increase my time with
God.
This plugs into the success of every one of my resolutions!
6) Start doing my nightly skincare.
I have the morning wash, anti-aging, and moisturizing down. I totally skip it at
night. Why? I just got out of the habit. I am only giving myself half the anti-aging
benefits of my Mary Kay skincare. I want the other half!!
7) Regularly get 8 hours of sleep.
I have read a lot about the benefits of getting your full 8 hours of sleep. I am tired
of being tired! I have read that it can help with weight loss. It will make me a
nicer person. I bet I just plain feel better!
8) Clean my kitchen every night.
I don't have a dishwasher other than me and my girls. So this is hard. But, when
my house gets out of control it seems to start in the kitchen. When my house
gets out of control so do my other areas that require discipline - eating and
spending. Let's just nip it!
9) Read 12 Books this year - godly books!
I am finishing up Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking book
this week and this morning ordered Made to Crave by Lysa Terkhurst. I love to
read. It relaxes me and helps me to get to sleep quicker and get a better sleep!
10) Complete a 1/2 marathon.
I think it's in May! I am so so so excited!

Whew! I know it seems like a lot but the really all just plug into the over all desire to become a healthier, better person, wife and mom.

So, it was one thing to make the list. My first weigh in my weight went up! Okay so I can deal with it. I have committed to reading my list every day and to working on it in various ways each week. Well little things that would kinda try to set me off track started happening. My 3 year old decided she didn't want to go to sleep at her designated time which kept me from going to bed on time. I finished my book and it was a whole day until my other one arrived, so I had to go a day without reading a book. You know little things. As I persevered the little things became bigger. My 3 year old got a stomach virus and her first "upheaval" was at 11;30pm with her last being at about 3:30 in the morning. As I focus on my eating - I come home one night to find my daughter had been in the baking mood, brownies, m&m cookies, and chocolate chip muffins. A couple of nights later my daughter and husband found out braums was having a sale on their tubs of ice cream. So - little areas of temptation and frustration keep popping up. I start reading, "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkhurst and the next day its like WHAMMO! Due to a chapter I read in the book I committed that I would begin praying through the day as food things popped into my head. Armed with this as I begin my day my husband and I have a tiff! UGH! I want to emotionally eat, instead I pray. The tiff is on my mind a better part of the day so I think about food often and persistently pray through those thoughts. Funny thing started happening. I started to feel calm and relaxed. At 6:00 pm I leave work to find I have a flatter than flat tire on my car. Had to call hubby for help - he was so sweet and kind. Tire is ruined! Will need 4 new tires as replacing just one I guess is not a good thing.

It dawned on me last night - really dawned on me - I am being attacked by Satan. I am drawing closer to God and this list of focuses will cause me to rely on God more. Doing so makes me a stronger witness. Guess that ticks Satan off. God knew what was going on the whole time - He was and still is with me through these little battles. I am bettering myself, little did I know this process would take me on a new spiritual journey!

I am really excited as I move forward!

So - until next week!

Lots of love,

D. J.

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