Saturday, January 31, 2009

Update on Goals

A good friend of mine put up a post the other day that reminded me of how important it is to keep striving for goals, even when it seems that I am failing.

And so I thought it would be useful for me to report on my New Years Resolutions, some of which are not going so hot but which I now definitely intend to keep working on. I am grateful for the experiences I have had this month, which reaffirm my belief in every person's ability to reach goals and make positive changes in their life. It just might not be as immediately as we would hope.

On reading the Old Testament:
I just barely started it this past week and so far, I've been able to get a handful of chapters in every day. But boy-oh-boy, it is very challenging. It is hard to pull the gospel principles out of the strange and truncated stories in the book of Genesis. I have found that a prayer before I start doesn't really illuminate the text but it does give me a sense of its sacred character and its importance in my life.

On my insurance's health program: Well, I gotta laugh at myself about this one. The cutback on refined sugars was really too sudden for me. I did great for about a week and then the serious cravings set in. So, I caved. The first ice cream pie could never have been the allowed 20% failure rate. It was the first in an avalanche of delicious treats and easily accessible goodies. Needless to say, I did not succeed in this particular challenge. But that doesn't mean I can't keep trying. We'll see what next month's challenge is.

On giving a harp recital: I am picking up a new song this month. It's the Bach-Grandjany Fugue No. 12. But, because of a long trip visiting my family, I haven't had time to finish learning it yet. That (and memorizing the Jolly Piper) will be my goals for next month.

On our gospel-sharing home: We invited our downstairs neighbors over for Family Home Evening this month. I was super nervous about it but it turned out to be a great success. We prayed together and then read a story from a book my brother, Brinton, gave us for Christmas (The 7 Habits of Happy Kids). We made cookies and then the girls played Phase 10 dice while the boys played Lego Star Wars, the video game. All in all, a very successful evening.

2 comments:

Mrs. Jaybird said...

It sounds like you're doing pretty well, actually! I love the goals you have set for yourself and your family.

Oh, and don't sweat the sugar thing. I allow myself to have it once a week and eat my dessert really slow so it lasts longer. I have found more success in this tactic, rather than cold turkey.

Congratulations anyways!

Brad and Hailey said...

Hey it's only February :) You're doing great! good for you! I too have to keep reminding myself and checking up on my goals or they get lost in the hurry of the day :) Good luck!