Getting Down to Business – Part 2 Personal Improvement

Two of my personal improvement goals are going to be a bit rough for me.

Personal Improvement
4. become a better housekeeper
5. cook at least 3 times a week

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I’ve never been a very domesticated person.  I don’t like cooking and cleaning at all!  Plus, I have a hard time carving out the time to cook and clean and still have time to maintain my life sanity.

Everything has become increasingly more difficult with the birth of my babies.  My daily early rise no later than 7:00 am; knowing that for work, I should really be up by 5:30/6:00 am.  While my work days end by 5:00/5:30 pm, then starts the Mommy Clock.  I often feel like I need more time in my days.  When I’m not at work, I’m tired.  When I’m at home with the little one’s all day, I find it tough to accomplish anything with them around.  It’s only during their nap times that I can do anything.

So, with all that, it’s tricky to maneuver and get this home making and cooking thing down.  I have tried my had at homemade freezer meals.  I really like that, I just have to have weekend time to get at least 7 meals done so we can eat throughout the week as well as get a food stock up.

Now, when it comes to the cleaning.  It’s all about the time and pushing myself to do it.  I am so heavily overwhelmed with the long list of tasks to complete:  laundry for 4, changing beds, vacuuming, the living room, the kitchen, organizing, the list seems to go on and on!

Personal Improvement
9. read 120 books (at least 12 books per year)

Oddly enough, this goal is probably going to help in many other areas.  I can read books just for fun as well as to get more insight and help with other areas of life.  My first book, (audio book) is actually a book on improving your marriage.  So, hopefully that will be some points and tips to help improve my marriage.

I struck a goal gold mine!!!  Audio Books from the public library!  I can check out digital copies of books right from my phone, tablet and/or computer!  How awesome!

I have two audio books checked out:

• Making Marriage Simple:  Ten Truths for Changing the Relationship You Have into the One You Want by Harville Hendrix & Helen LaKelly Hunt

• Effective Writing for Business, College, and Life by William Stanek

My second book, was actually an accident, but I think will be useful.  I’m writing all of the time at work, creating training materials, I’m writing more on my blog, and I’m even trying to do more other types of writing.  I miss doing the short stories and poetry, but I know I need more practice.  I need to keep my grammar, punctuation, and writing style in check.  Once I get a bit more courage, I’ll post some of my personal writing for other’s to check out…

I may have gotten started, but I still have a lot of work ahead of me!  But, I’m hoping with sharing with the world what’s going on, I can get it all done.  I may be 4 ½ years behind, but I’m trying to make up for lost time.

Getting Down to Business – Part 1 Spiritual Improvement

I’ve begun to make an attempt to get some things done in my life.

In preparation for writing down my thoughts for this blog entry, I had to review “The List” again.  I think constantly consulting my goal list will help me to knock them out.  What I realized, I have started on several goals without really thinking too hard.  So, in my moment of sharing, let me begin with my Spiritual Goals.

Spiritual Improvement
1. read the entire bible

A friend of mine saw my list and made a suggestion, when it comes to reading books, try audio books.  Why not??  I can spend some time reading some actual bound books and digital copies, but listening while I work or drive or whenever still lets it get in my head.  So, she volunteered to lend me her copy of “The Bible Experience”  This will be an excellent opportunity for me to get in my bible read.  By no means is it going to be substitute for actually Bible reading time and study.  But, it does give me a starting point.  It even gives me a chance to hear sections that I want to dive into and explore even more.  Super excited about this!!  Now, if she would just get it to me.  :-)

Spiritual Improvement

2. join, attend, and become active in church, consistently

3. have a consistent personal bible study and prayer

So, this is something that I’m really going to have to work on.  While I have a church home, I am not active at all.  I have really been very disinterested in doing anything other than attending morning worship.  Even that sometimes, I have been eager to skip out on.  Now, I do yearn to have a deeper relationship with Christ, but I have been having a real struggle with getting on board with doing the right thing.  Not that I’ve been going around drinking, smoking, cursing, robbing and killing.  I have just not been motivated to really grow my relationship.  I’ve been doing the bare minimum.  I whisper a prayer in a time of need.  I pray with my daughter at bedtime, I say grace with my son before a bottle.  But not doing anything at all to let God know that I’m serious about him.  I haven’t really been spending time with Him.  I only go to Him when I need something.  So, I’m sure God is a bit irritated with my pop in and out relationship with Him.

Truthfully, I don’t want it to be that way.  I yearn to have my zeal back!  I want to have God be able to trust me again.  I struggle to “find the time”.  It seems that the businesses and troubles of life have consumed me.  Well, it doesn’t just seem that way, that is the truth of the matter.

So, how can I fix it all?  I’ve thought about and even promised myself that I would begin to go to Bible Study weekly, wake up in time enough to make it to Sunday School.  Now, pay attention during Sunday Service…  that’s a whole different story.  I find it difficult to keep a 2 ½ year old in check, look over at a 10 month old and hear and retain the sermon.  (Flash thought… Why not record service?  Maybe I can listen to the sermon on my own time.  I think I will try that out.  I’ll power up my tablet and let it run.)  Now for the getting up for Sunday School and actually making it to Bible Study, that’s an entirely different story.

Perhaps, when it comes to Wednesday nights, with my 30 minute earlier schedule at work, maybe I can make it on time.  I was finding it difficult to get off work at 5:30 pm and make it across town with 2 young children.  I’ll have to pack a bag for them on Tuesday evening (have snacks, bottles, toys, books and change of clothes ready) and head straight for church.  I’ll try that out tonight and tomorrow.

 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 King James Version (KJV)

My spiritual relationship no longer is all about me.  It’s also about ensuring that my children have a good foundation in Christ.  So, that also means that I should get them involved in church.  Now, my 10 month old son can only sit and smile right now, but my 2 ½ year old seems to be a born leader and loves doing things that involve one of her favorite phrases, “Thank you Jesus.  Amen.”  At mealtime, this ends her grace, while riding in the car it often is part of lyrics to a self made song and at bedtime, it means she is ready for her prayers.  I love that my baby girls is so energized with a love for God!  I want both of my children to maintain this type of zealous energy towards Christ.  So, I am going to have to find some way to get them involved.  My first step with my daughter is to have her participate in the Father’s Day program.

I’ve said a mouth full.  My original intent was to hit a little on everything I feel like I’ve started on.  But, that seems to be entirely too much to share at one time.  So, I will do this in sections.

So, here’s a sneak peak at some of the areas I’ve already started working on.

Personal Improvement
4. become a better housekeeper
5. cook at least 3 times a week
9. read 120 books (at least 12 books per year)

Finances
17. pay off credit cards

Education
23. get my masters degree

Career
26. find a career path and job that I enjoy and can remain in until retirement
28. conquer my fear of being a teacher

Travel & Travel Related
36. travel to 30 interesting places within the state of Texas (or current state of residence)

Life Distractions

I look back at the mere two posts that I published to this blog and realize that for some reason I became distracted.  I didn't complete something that I started. Not really a shocker to me...

Over the course of my 34 years on this Earth there are many things that I have abandoned because of lost of interest or difficulty setting in. I'm trying to change that in my life.

On the flip side, in relation to this blog, I do see some areas where I made progress. So I won't bet myself up for not getting started on more than half of the list.

So... what have I really accomplished in the 4 years I've lived in my Triumphant Thirties?

Spiritual Improvement

2. join, attend, and become active in church, consistently - I've only joined

Personal Improvement

Nothing

Family

10. get married
11. have children (3) - I have 4 children. 2 by birth and 2 by marriage
15. reach out and attempt to establish a relationship with my paternal relatives - I reached out.

Finances

20. start retirement savings - Got this going

Education

Not a thing...

Career

Nada

Community Involvement

Zero Completed

*This is not looking very good so far...*

Travel & Travel Related

36. travel to 30 interesting places within the state of Texas (or current state of residence) - I've only been to Austin

Misc.

43. start a blog to document my journey of completing this list - I started it but did nothing at all with it.

So I guess I'd better break out the whip. Out of 50 things I'm only done 7, and 5 of them weren't even completed.  Mathematically, I've only touched less that a quarter of my goals and I'm just about half way through my time frame for completion.

Can I really blame my lack of focus on the distractions of life?  No, I don't think so!  It's a total void of concentration.  Looking back, I've done absolutely nothing with my life.  Clearly, I do not have my priorities in order.  Now, since I have gotten married and have children, I do need to go about meeting my goals with a strategic plan.

Life has gotten a bit tough.  My priority of completing Spiritual Improvement Goals needs to be my main concern.  Even if drawing closer to God doesn't make the issues go away, I will definitely be better equipped to handled the dramas of life.

So.... Here I go. Now working on Goals 1, 2 and 3!

Spiritual Improvement

1. read the entire bible

2. join, attend, and become active in church, consistently

3. have a consistent personal bible study and prayer

Creating The List

Over the weekend, I took the time to create a list of things that I wanted to do before turning 40. I began with the assumption that I could contain my list to 25 items. However, my list just kept growing and growing. I expanded to 30, then 40; and now, I'm finally resting on, 50 Things To Do Before Turning 40. My list is pretty much comprised of things that I've often thought about doing but just have never gotten around to. When I sat down to think of this list, I found that there were many facets of my life that I have pondered over and just never done a thing about.

Now, I do realize that in creating this list, the work doesn't just stop here. I need to have SEVERAL plans to get around to actually checking items off. From the looks of things, I'm going to have to have several plans going at once. I've got lots a work ahead of me.

Something else that I realized when making this list. The fact that the list continued to grow lets me know that I have many hopes, dreams, goals and aspirations; some big and some small. So, really and truly, I wasn't able to put everything that I want to do on this list. I still have many other things in life that I plan to TRIUMPH over.

In relations this blog and my below list, I plan to mark off at least 5 things per year. In light of knocking out procrastination, I've got 2 month head start for the 1st year. I'm really excited!!! And have even been able to get started on my completion of the list. The beginning of my have Triumphant Thirties!!!

So, check out my list. It is categorized, but in no particular order.

Spiritual Improvement
1. read the entire bible
2. join, attend, and become active in church, consistently
3. have a consistent personal bible study and prayer

Personal Improvement
4. become a better housekeeper
5. cook at least 3 times a week
6. consistently keep a cleaner car (including trunk)
7. consistently devote time, specifically, for myself (have a me day at least once a month)
8. loose 130 lbs
9. read 120 books (at least 12 books per year)

Family
10. get married
11. have children (3)
12. create a tradition for my grandmother, my mother, and me (this would include any daughters if I have any)
13. establish a better relationship with my brother
14. take my parents on a vacation
15. reach out and attempt to establish a relationship with my paternal relatives
16. create a tradition for me and my god-daughters

Finances
17. pay off credit cards
18. pay off student loans
19. create a savings account with money in it
20. start retirement savings
21. rent out my present condo (become my 1st piece of investment property)
22. buy a 4 bedroom 2 ½ bath house with a pool and jacuzzi

Education
23. get my masters degree
24. write and be paid for at least 5 articles for a newspaper, magazine, or website

Career
25. annually attend some sort of networking event (job fair, corporate/industry conference, etc.)
26. find a career path and job that I enjoy and can remain in until retirement
27. start a travel business
28. conquer my fear of being a teacher

Community Involvement
29. volunteer at a soup kitchen for Thanksgiving or Christmas
30. participate/volunteer in a political campaign
31. get involved with Girl Scouts again

Travel & Travel Related
32. start and maintain a travel blog
33. go camping
34. attend the Super Bowl
35. attend an ODU Football Game
36. travel to 30 interesting places within the state of Texas (or current state of residence)
37. take a day trip via plane (no overnight hotel stay included)
38. travel to all 50 state capitals (the states that I have never visited)
39. get 5 stamps in my passport (from different places)
40. go on a Caribbean Cruise
41. travel to Canada
42. travel to Mexico

Misc.
43. start a blog to document my journey of completing this list
44. learn how to drive a motorcycle
45. take a photography class
46. record a CD
47. have a photo shoot of myself
48. take a sushi making class
49. connect with local ODU alumni (possibly start an ODU alumni chapter in my city)
50. go on a million dollar home, real estate tour


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The Beginning...

This year, I’ll be turning 30- years-old. I’ve been thinking about and dreading this since just before I turned 29. Why dread turning 30, you ask??? Well… I just feel like there’s so much in life that I haven’t accomplished. When I look at my life, I feel like I should be so much further. Yes, I’ve graduated college, purchased my first home, moved over 1,000 miles from everything that’s familiar to me, purchased my second home, etc, but, there’s just so much more to life than that. I want to be grounded in a real career, finally loose weight and keep it off, have a family, have some life adventures, do some things I’ve always thought about by have just taken any action.

In light of all of this, I plan to take the next decade of my life and make some substantial TRIUMPHS. I want to feel a sense of accomplishment when I hit 40. Anything that I’ve ever dreamt of, I want to have at least done all that I can to have achieved those clouds.

Now, I know that setting my mind to this, does not mean that I will always have sunshine and rainbows. I don’t expect perfection. I know there will be some times with dark clouds and storms, but I want to remain optimistic. That’s something that I normally let go of. And well… I have a made up mind that lost of things have to change in my life if I want some positive changes.

So… My first step is to make a list of the many things that I want to achieve throughout the third decade of my life. I’ve heard on many occasions in my life that if you don’t plan, you plan to fail. I don’t think I’ve ever really had a life plan. I’ve just had many thoughts and ideas and I’ve never come up with steps to reach life goals. Well… This time is going to be different!!! It has to be different!!! I’m going to make my list, check if twice, and come up with a plan to get EVERYTHING completed!!!! This all starts now!!! No need to until the actually 30th Birthday!!!! Procrastination is another one of my issues and I’ve got to over come that too!!!

So, today is a brand new day. Biologically, it may not be the beginning of my 30s, but, today is the day that I start living to make my 30sTRIUMPHANT!!!!!