Weekly Goals

As some of you know, I am working to incorporate into my routine things that will make me healthier (spiritually, emotionally, physically), things that I can do daily or weekly with commitment. And this is pretty much something I'm always working on. However, those of you who know me well in "real" life know that my tendency is to decide to make these big, dramatic, sweeping kind of changes in my life. However, I set myself up for failure that way--I ask of myself more than one person can reasonably be expected to do. So my new strategy is to implement changes, small changes, one at a time. Then, implement more small changes a week or two later. This makes sense to me. The other part of my strategy is that I'm going to post my goals and progress here. It not that I so much think that anyone really cares to read about all this, but I think I'm more likely to follow through if to someone I care about, I verbalize my goals and commitments. So here we go:

For last week (well, really the week that ends today, my first week back at work), my goal was to read my little personal devotional (I hate that word) and pray each morning. So--CHECK! I've done it. If anyone's interested, I'm reading Tabletalk from Ligonier. However, I'm reading last year's issues--currently a study of James. I'm also reading my Bible regularly in the evenings. And this is such an important thing, but I'd not been very "good" about it all in recent months. But starting a new semester always inspires me to clean up things in other areas of my life as well. I think it's the switch to a different schedule. I don't know--it just feels like starting over.

I'm still mulling over my new goal for the coming week. Would it be silly if my goal were simply to take more bubble baths? I think that's a good goal. I know that I'm saying this all the time, but I really, really believe that a key to contentment is learning to enjoy, even revel in, the little day-to-day activities and luxuries. For me, this means a good read in a long, hot bath or really good tea in a cup that I enjoy. This also means watching BBC stuff on DVD, rather than crappy TV that I don't even enjoy.

Maybe my goal for the coming week, however, should be to write in my journal each morning. I know from past experience that this helps me stay sane. Or maybe my goal should be to practice meditation each morning. Or maybe my goal should have to do with exercise--yoga and pilates have done wonders for me in the past. Yikes! I realize that all these things make me a healthier, happier person. Why don't I do them more often.

As a side note, I've decided that my quality of life would be greatly improved by an iPod. Am I just being silly?

Drennan