Thoughts of the Future
It’s been a peaceful morning. We are all nursing colds today so we opted to stay home from church and rest. At this moment, we still have pajamas on and the kids are building with Legos and singing incorrect lyrics to just about every song they sing. They take after their father, heaven help me. When I correct them they just say, “No, it’s my version of the song, Mommy!”
Well, that’s cute and everything, but your version is wrong.
Since we’ve been taking it easy, I’ve had a chance to really sit and think about my goals, dreams, hopes. Truth be told, I’m not very good at setting goals and actually following through on them. I get sidetracked and distracted and then something else catches my eye and I change my mind a million times. Or I pick up a book to read and that’s it. The end. Finito.
For awhile now, I’ve been feeling a little push to set some personal goals, family goals, marriage goals. I have a lot of thoughts flying around my head and nothing to corral them. Some of them include:
I love taking pictures and am kind of good at it. I wish I was even better.
I would like our family to be less drawn to devices. More time talking and connecting, less time staring at a bright screen.
I really like writing. I should do it more.
I need to take better care of myself so I can keep taking care of my family.
We both really want to adopt. How? When?
Add all these totally unrelated thoughts to the daily grind of homeschooling, cooking, cleaning and sleeping and anyone could get sidetracked.
But I’ve decided I’m turning over a new leaf. I’ve already got Faithful Finish Lines going on. I thought when I started it, that I was just going to get physically healthy. But I was wrong. It’s about so much more than that. It’s kind of what has inspired me to make some changes, given me the hope that it’s possible to meet the goals I set for myself as long as I make a plan to reach them.
I’ve honestly done a pretty poor job of following through on all of it. I set a goal of running a 5k, but it’s kind of unrealistic when my husband isn’t here to watch the kids while I run. That’s one lesson learned: Set realistic goals. Actually think it through. How will this work? Do I have what I need to achieve this goal or should I set a different goal?
Another lesson I’ve learned is that I need to tell someone about my goals. I need someone right in front of me to hold me accountable. I need to set aside time to actually focus on my goals and not feel guilty about that. I’m at the point in my life, and my children are the right ages, that everyone is just better off if I take time out for myself, to work on things I’m passionate about, to get better.
So, for the next couple of weeks, I’m going to really think and pray about what I want to accomplish in the next month, six months, year. Then I m going to make a plan to accomplish it. And then I’m going to go after my goals. Stay tuned for more!
I encourage you all to set some goals for yourselves and go after them, too.
These Ordinary Graces 