5K's, Birthdays and Life

Tomorrow I will be 31. Not a big deal. I thought 30 would be painful, but it wasn't. It was just another day. I don't consider myself a day over 18.

...Except that most people make New Year's resolutions, whereas I make birthday resolutions. Last year I resolved to have breast reduction, and in July that's just what I did. This year, my plans are bit loftier than being knocked unconscious and snipped away at.

A lot of my friends are doing crazy things these days - like running 5Ks. One of them is planning to sky dive. Both seem a little TOO lofty for me, though, if I had to pick, I'd sky dive because all I have to do is jump, pull a cord, and scream. BUT, that being said, I do want to get in shape this year. I'm not shooting to become marathon material, but I would like to start running. When I had my breast reduction, I was thrilled because I could finally run pain- and embarrassment-free. So far, the only running I have done is in the parking lot, trying to catch my escapee cat before she runs into the street.

I'd like to return to songwriting. This will be more of a challenge, since I haven't really played the guitar in ages. I tried to yesterday. I'm available to jam with you, if you don't mind a guitarist who has sworn off bar chords, and who takes up to 15 seconds to change chords in mid-song. The good news is, I know when I'm off-key (i.e., "WHOA! THAT wasn't a D chord!!")

I'm determined to get another book contract this year. Again, lofty... since I could be writing that book even as we speak, but I'm blogging instead.

I'm going to quit smoking once and for all. (Stop laughing at me.)

I'm going to turn 32 in better shape than I was in when I turned 31... physically, financially, professionally, spiritually. And, with any luck, when I sip my sparking grape juice on New Year's Eve 2010, I won't be resolving to make good on my birthday resolutions from 8 months earlier. Pin It

Goal Setting In 2010

Was over at Rachel Hauck's blog today, where she was discussing her goals for 2010, which got me thinking about my own.

I really hate New Year's resolutions. Most of us need more than a new date on the calendar to inspire us to make real change in our lives. For more years than I care to count, I have resolved to lose weight and quit smoking. As if, suddenly, on January 1st I would be able to un-addict myself from smokes and roll back years of unhealthy eating habits. Please. So instead of saying that as of January 1, I'm going to stop doing such-and-such or suddenly START doing such-and-such, I'm going to take a different approach. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

Instead of viewing the new year as a starting and ending point for good and bad habits, I'm going to look at the entire year as a whole and set goals that I can work on for 365 days and beyond.

Numero uno for me this year is making connections. Hubby and I became members of the church we had been attending for a year back in September. We were officially announced to the congregation as such in December. (Picture a professional wrestler's entrance with pyrotechnics and everything. OK, just kidding.) I still have a bit of church anxiety that I deal with when it comes to "other church ladies." I struggle with feeling like everybody has it together but me, and I have to work really hard at not keeping myself at arms-length from others. But recent events in my life have shown me that God put these people in my life to be my family, and after a year of much loss, I need family now more than ever.

I guess you could say I want to stop making church a spectator sport. I don't just want to go on Sunday and then go home; I want to build a family and create a home.

Another biggie on my To-Do List is shutting up and letting God do His thing.
When things do not go at the speed I'd like them to, I throw myself into the ring and push as hard as I can, when I KNOW there are times God just wants me to hang back. As it applies to my writing, God has repeatedly told me, "Just write what I tell you to write about and do what I tell you to do and you'll be fine" but I wasn't seeing the progress I wanted, so I took matters into my own hands, only to watch it all backfire.

This is the year I learn how to shush.

Yes, I want to stay off the smokes and eat more lettuce this year, and that's important, but those things will be made easier if I work on the two biggies I mentioned above. I want to focus more on heart issues, because none of the "palpable" issues are going to be resolved until the heart ones are.

What are you doing this year? Pin It