Reflection
Clarity is the space between an object and its mirror.
I took this picture while camping with my older son last weekend. The reflection of the trees upon the water mesmerized me, so I ducked away from photographing boys fishing to capture a few shoreline shots.
Reflection.
That word pretty much defines this past week for me. A week ago, I acknowledged that I can’t get everything done and something had to change. This week was all about giving an honest look at deficiencies in my life. Here are some things I want to do more:
- Nurture my relationship with God by spending at least 15 minutes a day reading scripture or devotionals – without distractions;
- Work on my novel expanding Ellie’s story (which I posted here as a series of Trifecta challenge entries, beginning in May 2012);
- Make better food choices (after the 5-pound tub of Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough I bought “for the kids” is gone
); - Exercise more (which should help get rid of the 22 extra pounds that have found me over the last year);
- Get at least seven hours of sleep each night;
- Stress less about what I’m not getting done; and
- Celebrate family time- especially when life is at its busiest.
I do realize that many of these things require time. It figures. I’m all out of time. Since I can’t have more than 24 hours in my day, I know I’ll have to cut back in other areas. (My first thought was to eliminate housekeeping, but sadly, those 30 minutes a week won’t get me very far!)
It’s obvious my time management needs some fine tuning, but now that I have goals in front of me, it should be easier to examine. Should is the key word.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Beautiful… thanks for stopping by my blog.
Thanks, Debra. I appreciate your visit as well
When setting goals . . . be SMART. Make them:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
http://topachievement.com/smart.html
Your sleep goal and your God goal are specific and measurable. The rest are rather vague. Instead of “make better food choices” or “exercise more” . . . be specific with something you can measure. Examples: Eat 5 servings of fruit and veggies each day” or “exercise for 30 minutes, 4 times a week” or “lose 1 pound a week for the next 22 weeks.”
Good luck.
You are absolutely right, Nancy. Had I not been sleep deprived when I wrote this I might have picked up on that
The vague goals are the best I can do at the moment. The better food choices did stick in my mind when I went grocery shopping – I avoided the ice cream aisle altogether. For me, the better choices pertain more to what I eat at work (there is always stuff in the breakroom – candy, cookies, cakes, bagels, etc.)
As for exercise, I’d love to have a schedule, but it’s proving difficult. This week, we have something going on every night until Friday, so it looks like our exercise will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As for the weight loss…at this point, I’m not actively dieting – I will see what the exercise does first. As long as I’m not gaining more, I’ll call it good!
Thanks for your suggestions on being specific. I will certainly get these nailed down in the weeks to come…even if I have to make weekly schedules to plot out what we can do.
I find it hard to resist “freebies” when they were hanging around. I often make a deal with myself, “you can have a cookie AFTER you go for a 5 minute walk around the block.” Delayed gratification can be a great motivator.
Good luck!
oops . . . are hanging around.
That’s a good idea, Nancy. I usually tell myself I’ll do the exercise after I eat…which of course, I never do! I resisted all goodies at work today and ate only what I packed from home. One day down, many more to go!
Loved your comment about the 30 minutes of housekeeping per week. I wish I had that much time to devote to housekeeping. I’m jealous.
Ha! I might have been generous with the 30-minute allotment, Yvonne. You know time passes slower when you’ve got a vacuum cleaner in your hand
Oh, Janna, I remember those days when my kid was small and life seemed so unmanageable at times. Thankfully, things eventually do settle down — IF you’ll try your hardest to get control of them now! It sounds as if you’re on the right track, by making a concrete list of goals (some long, some short, term). We conscientious folk have a harder time delegating and supervising tasks, but don’t be afraid to let “the guys” shoulder some of the work. And do get your sleep — a shortage there invites weight gain (and later, diabetes), or so I’ve read!
I do delegate a lot more now than I did even a year ago (it helps that the kids are getting older.) Hubby does laundry (except for mine). I cook, but the men folk clean the kitchen (not very well, but that’s another topic.) Kids clean their bathroom and their rooms as well as the cat boxes. This is going to sound odd, but in some ways it would be easier if I just did it myself. It’s another test of patience to go through inspections and pointing out what was missed the first, second, and sometimes third, time around.
I like the idea that things could seem more manageable at some point in the future. I do have a family history of diabetes, so that does concern me. I’m shooting for at least seven hours of sleep a night. It’s so hard to walk away and leave things undone, but I’m going to do my best to let it go, Debbie!
Love that picture!
Thanks, Tessa. It’s hard to believe I was surrounded by fishing Cub Scouts
stay focused and do the best you can. It will all be good in the end.
I sure hope so, Patty
Thanks for the support.
Having a plan is half the battle. Debbie has wise advice, don’t short yourself on sleep, your body needs it for many reasons. Good sleep will also give you more energy to face the rest of the things on the list.
I’m counting on sleep helping, Patti. There are some days I feel ready to fall asleep at work, so I get up and walk around the parking lot. (I was eating chocolate, but found that made it worse in several ways.)
Your photo is pretty – it is serene.
I wish you well in achieving your goals. Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? I look forward to that finished Ellie novel.
I read the list – the most difficult part is the weight part for me. Sigh. I need to lose some and I tried to join my husband in his no carb diet. 6 days later, I gave up. There is such a short list of food choices without carbs.
What did I say here? I think I am no thinking right.
) Truth is, I will have difficulty with everything.
You’re funny, Imelda!
There is no way I can do NaNoWriMo, Imelda. (I admire those who try it!) It would completely undo my plan to get more sleep
I am still on chapter one, but I just started working on it again last week. I’ve also got a title for the first book and where I want the story to go in the second book.
I could never do no carb. We did the Belly Fat Cure a couple years ago. It had lots of recipes for healthier ways to fix restaurant meals. We followed it strictly for thirty days and it worked pretty well. I found that I didn’t crave the sweets. I have trouble with moderation, so I think I need to ditch the desserts completely. Ugh.
Hi there…just came across your blog…love the pics of your pets! Beautiful animals. I love reflection periods. Sometimes we have to just take a time out for them. Unfortunately it can be hard to get back into the swing afterwards! Nice blog.
now following.
Thanks so much for visiting (and following) Katherine. I agree that it can be difficult to get back into a routine after a break, but the breaks are so good for our minds
That *is* a very mesmerizing pic. Great list of reflections, too. I need to tackle a few on it myself. I should begin with “getting 7 hours of sleep” so I can function during the day. This blogging hobby is always in the way of that one.
Nighty night for now.
I’m glad you liked the picture, Sandra. The scene almost made me forget I was surrounded by Cub Scouts armed with fishing rods! The seven hours of sleep is proving difficult for me and I’ve missed it the last two nights. Perhaps Halloween will be an early night and I can get to bed at a reasonable hour? I guess I’ll see! Glad you stopped by, Sandra.