At the end of each month, (or beginning), I review my yearly goals and spend some time reflecting on how I’m doing in living the life I want to live ~ a way of becoming my own accountability partner and having frequent check-ins to evaluate my progress. I’m still in the process of revising some of my goals as I encounter successes…..and setbacks. New goals have asterisks for the month of August, when I will report on them in a few weeks. For the month of July, here’s my goal reflection:
| Category | Goals | My Progress |
| Literature | *Read for Sarah Donovan’s Book Group Send out Postcards Blog Daily * Write at least 2 chapters for writing group’s book | Ethicalela.com has a new book group! First Book: Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (https://shorturl.at/coAHN) and our group will meet this week. I’m halfway finished and will be ready by Tuesday evening for our discussion. I’ve purchased the book for August and I’ll be ready to begin that one. I continue to send out postcards – every month, I mail something to my grandchildren so that when I am gone, they will think of their Nana as an adventurer who loved to get out and see the world! I continue to blog daily, and the daily writing and reflecting is a wonderful habit for me. I don’t feel complete without some form of daily writing, and the blog is a way of continuing the habit. My writing group is writing a series of new books, and I will spend time editing the chapters we have written. I will continue to add 2 chapters to one book this month and edit the chapters in the other book. It’s a work in progress. Our proposal went out last week. |
| Creativity | *Make a rag quilt for a new grandbaby *Create Shutterfly Route 66 | I have a new granddaughter, and I’ve purchased and cut the squares for the rag quilt that I will begin sewing this week. I hope to see her next weekend, so I’ll need to hit the fast button on the sewing! I created a video, but I didn’t accomplish this goal, so I’ll continue this one: I’ll create a canvas or two, along with a photo book using our Route 66 photos! (Oh, and I got creative with spray paint, too – graffiti is fun!). |
| Spirituality | Tune in to church Pray! Keep OLW priority | We will tune in to church by radio or YouTube and catch up with services missed while on the road traveling. My car is still my prayer chamber for daily prayer, and there’s so much to give thanks for. I continue my conversations with the good Lord each morning and afternoon. I’m still keeping my OLW my priority: pray! |
| Reflection | Write family stories Spend time tracking goals each month | I have shared family stories through my blog this month and will continue this month to do the same. Especially when the figs ripen and we make “Strawberry Pigs.” I’m tracking goals, revising, and considering some new categories as I look at my goal table. |
| Self-Improvement | *Reach top of weight range | This is a setback for me this month. Part of May and all of June was not a good one for weight. I’ve gained back about a third of the weight I had lost, and I need to transition to Weight Watchers point counting, which has been the plan since starting Optavia. I need to make the shift for July – and stay out of the retro diners with burgers, fries, and shakes. Update: I’ve joined WW and lost 5 pounds in the first week. I’ve managed to stay out of the retro diners, so this month I’ll focus on losing the craving for coconut cream pie. |
| Gratitude | Devote blog days to counting blessings | The gratitude category was strong for the month of July. I have a new granddaughter, and one of my daughters celebrated one year of sobriety this past month. I have gone back to work for another year in a job I truly love, and as I sit on the shores of Lake Juliette this morning surrounded by birdsong, I realize now more than ever that the blessings of this life far outweigh the struggles. |
| Experience | Embrace Slow Travel Focus on the Outdoors | July was a month of both slowing down and returning to work. We started the month camping at Dames Ferry Campground and cut that trip short, since the heat got the best of us. We finish the month here on a more shaded campsite, and give thanks for the beauty of the outdoors and the gift of time together sharing the simple moments of peaceful solitude. |
Common Threads 