Energized!!!

Friends - 
Have you ever been ready for a new year? I mean sooooo ready? Emotionally, that is where I am. I am soooo ready to begin again - and grateful for the opportunity!

2011 was an amazingly wonderful year, as most years are. Highlights of the year include: the marriage of my daughter, my daughter's college graduation, turning 50 on Sanibel Island with my whole family there with me, starting college visits with my son, completing the Bible studies I had set out to finish, finding two new authors whose work I love, visiting college campuses with my son, breaking ground on a new community services building at work, attending a writers' workshop, starting new mission projects at church... I could go on and on.


Yet, there are times when I want to start again, reassess my goals, write new ones, and move ahead. What has really energized me this year is that for the first time in 27 years, my husband is excited about the new year and writing his list of goals.  Maybe its catchy?


So here we go: what do I want to accomplish this year and what are my big dreams?

Here are the more routine resolutions - changes/ refinements to my daily routine:


1.  On the heals of my 8 lbs loss last year, I want to reach my goal weight by losing 11 lbs. more.
2.  I want to exercise at least 5 days each week.
3.  I plan to study scripture at least 5 days each week.


My "midsized" goals are:


1.  To redo my vegetable garden, trying new heirloom varieties of plants
2.  To finish editing my book
3.  To develop a new blog - and to do a better job of maintaining this one


My big dream goals are:


1.  To find a publisher for my book
2.  To launch my nonprofit dedicated to helping no kill shelters
3.  To begin a new ministry


... and I am so excited! Big dreams are alive and well in this prairie!


How about you? Send me your goals - your big dreams. Write them down and pledge to achieve them in 2012!

Keeping track....

Yikes - I flipped the calendar over this week, and realized that the "Day of Reckoning" in terms of my 2011 plans/ goals/ dreams was almost at hand.

So, how have I done so far? I decided to take an inventory of some of my goals/ dreams (I won't catalog them all here, because as my kids would be happy to tell you "Her resolutions take pages!"), but here are a few:

1.  Lose 25 pounds - I have lost 9 lbs. My goal is to lose 3-4 more pounds before the end of the year to reach my halfway point.

2. Finish writing my book and send it off to an editor- this is one of my "dreams" - I define dreams as goals straight from the heart. I was successful in completing my book, and it is in the hands of three editors. This goal is right on track.

3. Move my two nonprofit organizations ahead - I have made small progress with one, very little with the other. This is a new goal for 2012.


4. Develop a new friendship - this goal was achieved in surprising ways. An old friend from the past and I reconnected and have been corresponding, now making plans to have dinner.  A surprising way to make a "new friend".


What are your dreams and goals? What success have you had in moving them forward? What are your plans for 2012?