Happy New Year - 2014 !

Wow!  I totally am floored that it is 2014 !  The saying is true - time really does seem to fly.

It is that time of year again, when I list my GOALS for the upcoming year.  I don't make resolutions anymore, I stopped that a few years ago - instead I like to make goals for the year.  Sometimes I meet them, sometimes I don't but you know what...that isn't the end of the world. 

I didn't have a ton of goals last year - some goals I met, most I didn't.  I had a tough year, emotionally.  Even though I lost my dad in 2012, for some reason it was harder in 2013.  I really went through a great deal of depression throughout 2013 and actually still deal with it.  I try not to focus on it but throughout 2013, when my life was to be about "Balance" - it was instead about "Avoidance" - I just tried to avoid the world for the most part. 

There were some good things that happened in 2013 - I got to see my friend Anita and my Godson, Jacob - not just once but TWICE last year - that was great !  I went to Nashville and saw Donny & Marie.  I saw Adam Ant after many, many years.  For the most part, my family was healthy and I got to see my niece & her husband, who I haven't seen in 2 years.  I also go to meet my great niece, Isobel, in person and that was so special to me!  I love that little girl so much!  I turned 50 (gulp! but yea!).  I started researching my family tree and found out a lot of interesting things.

However, when at home for the most part, I pretty much would lie on the couch, sleep when I could and avoid doing anything else - cleaning, crafting, cooking, reading, etc.  I just wanted to close my eyes and wake up and everything be better - but it never was.  I did what I had to do to get through each day and Thanked God for the strength that I survived another day without my dad, without Thatcher and Thanked God for those that I did have in my life. 

Each year, for the past few years, I've picked a word to try to be my focus for the year - based on Ali Edwards "One Little Word" concept.

Previous year's were:
2011: Happiness
2012: Completion
2013: Balance

So what is the word for 2014?  I keep going between two of them....Focus and Routine.  I keep going back and forth.  But I think I will make my word "ROUTINE" for 2014.  Why this word?  Well...I was thinking back to a time in my life when I was very, very busy yet I was pretty happy.  I lived in a condo with my sister.  I was going to school full-time, working full-time and managed to keep things at home organized and going smoothing and still managed time for a social life.  During this time, though, I was really in a routine.  I got up the same time daily, did certain things at certain times and on certain days.  I liked having a routine schedule - it helped me stay organized and helped me stay focused (there is that word again).  I think having a good routine helps with your focus, which is why I decided to go with routine. 

My life now is anything but routine....I get up at various times, get to work at various times, leave work at various times, I don't plan my meals, I don't plan much of anything - what happens, happens. I am the kind of person that needs some kind of routine and schedule - it works for me, it helps me stay on track.  So...that is going to be my One Little Word for 2014.

Spiritual Goals:

Well...as I do every year...I want to read the whole Bible in a year.  I even have a special one-year Bible for this purpose:

The problem is...I have misplaced this !  (Maybe my OLW should be "organize").  Actually I THINK I know where it is but haven't looked there.  So I will look there tonight and hopefully it will be there so I can start with it tomorrow.  However...I do have another plan to follow as a backup. 

This is obviously something that is near and dear to me - something I really, really want to do since it has been a goal that I do not stop thinking about....but sometime around March, I always seem to lose steam.  I really want to complete this goal this year - mainly to stretch my spiritual knowledge but also so that this time next year, I will not be making this a goal again - I can actually say I DID IT.

 

Another spiritual goal is to spend more time in solitude and prayer.  I am pretty good at this spiritual discipline but I want to include it as part of my daily routine.  Spending time, probably after daily Bible readings, with just the quietness and listening for the Lord - giving my prayer requests to Him and just "being" with Him.

Crafty Goals:

Well...I didn't meet any of my crafty goals from last year.  As I mentioned, I was quite blue throughout a lot of the year.  When you are feeling down, you just don't feel like doing anything, especially something crafty.  I am...I promise, promise, promise, promise myself, that I AM going to complete my Around the World Afghan.  Frankly, I cannot believe that I started this almost 4 years ago - has it really been that long??  I, mean, REALLY??  I guess time really does fly, as I mentioned earlier. 

Of course there are other crafty things I want to do this year, but this is the only goal I am setting because this is the one that I will complete this year.

Other Goals:

Genealogy - I will continue on my quest to find out more about my family.  My goal is to get everything into 2 (or perhaps 4) books - can't quite decide how I will organize it.  I want to especially have the Odom family information completed as much as possible before our family reunion at the beginning of May.

Health - I will continue to eat healthier.  I have done fairly well - avoiding fried foods and refined sugars.  I will continue to focus on healthy eating and incorporating more vegetables and more exercise into my life.

Reading - Other than the Bible reading plan, I am not really going to set any "reading" goals.  I do want to take time to read more but it really isn't a goal, just something I hope to do.

Travel - Again, not really setting any travel "goals" but I do have a desire to take more "day trips" or "overnight trips" this year - places within driving distance.  I am going to plan a trip to Washington, DC for me and my friend, Susan - but not sure I will take the trip this year - I would like to though - perhaps around September/October.


Well...that is really it - not really a lot of goals - mainly two - read the Bible in a Year and complete the Around the World Afghan.  The others are, what I guess you might call desires or mini-goals.

Wish me luck :)