Happy New Year! I'm Setting Goals for 2022

Well, friends, it has been a hot minute since I last posted on this blog. So I thought I would take the excuse that it is a new year to write a post! This is likely to be kind of long and rambly, so go ahead and get you a cup of coffee and a comfy chair.... I'll wait....

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I don't know about any of the rest of you, but there is a part of my brain that is stuck in March of 2020. It's like I've not move beyond the lockdown and back into real life. I mean, I do go out and go to the grocery store and I've actually been known to eat in a restaurant. But there is still a teensy part of me that feels like we are all still back in March of 2020.

I was cleaning out my Gmail last week since I haven't done that in a hot minute, either. I'm not going to tattle on myself and tell you all how many unread messages I have - we'll get to that in a bit - but there were a LOT. Well, I had started with the oldest and had gotten to January 2020, then February, then March. And I started seeing the myriad COVID-19 response emails we all got from companies telling us the special precautions that they were taking to keep their employees and customers safe from this virus.

When did you know that this whole thing had gotten real?

I mean, I know that there are some folks out there - though I hope that you are not one of them, gentle reader - that still don't believe that the pandemic is real despite the hundreds of thousands of people who have died from the coronavirus. But for those of us who have believed the pandemic to be a thing, there was almost always a point where you really, most sincerely believed it.

For me, there was a direct, personal moment and a more global moment. 

The direct, personal moment was when a dear friend from high school who was about a year younger than I am died. He died pretty early in the pandemic, so they were calling it "complications due to pneumonia". But, later, it was determined that it was most likely due to COVID-19. I am super, duper grateful that no one in my family has succumbed to the virus. While I've had family and friends who have contracted COVID-19, the number of cases that have involved hospitalization or ventilation have been blessedly few. The husband and I have also been extraordinarily lucky in that this specter has not shadowed our household, and we are vigilantly attempting to extend that streak. With the omicron variant being as transmissible as it seems to be, I don't know how long we'll be able to keep it up, but we are still masking in public, keeping Purell in business, and maintaining physical distance as much as we can. We are both fully vaccinated, though we are needing to get our boosters. But I digress.

So, what was the global moment you might ask.... And, even if you didn't, I'm gonna tell you anyway.

The moment that I knew that the pandemic was a real, global thing was when the announcement came through that the Boston Marathon was cancelling in 2020 and going virtual. I mean, world wars didn't cancel Boston. Getting the start line bombed didn't cancel Boston. But here is a disease that has caused them to cancel. Yeah, that made it pretty darn real for me.

So, 2020 is still kind of a blur, to be honest. I joked that the only reason I knew that time was passing was because I'm a gardener. LOL

Then 2021 came. COVID still rages and people are still in denial and are relaxing their vigilance.

2021 brought a lot of changes in my life, too. I got more active in my Extension Master Gardener program and was able to do a lot more volunteering. I also expanded my own garden to include new raised beds and some cattle panel arches! Isn't it gorgeous?

But, the biggest change that came in 2021 was my leaving my job of over 7 years. Yes, friends, I was part of the Great Resignation. Being a decision-maker during a global pandemic with minimal guidance really took a great toll on my mental and physical health. So, I made the decision to leave. Right now, I'm working at home on my creative endeavors: YouTube, blogging, art, writing, et cetera. It's not making me a whole lot of money, as you can imagine, so I am looking for some remote work (hit me up if you have any suggestions!) but it has definitely improved my mental and physical health!

Let's get to the good stuff, right? What goals am I setting for 2022?

In 2022, I am planning on expanding the garden a little more as well as continuing with my creative pursuits. Will I be able to work solely for myself? That remains to be seen, though I will certainly not be against it. I'm also determined to build on the progress I've made in my mental and physical health.

I'm currently registered for the 2022 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. I ended up going virtual last year, and it looks like I may have to do the same this year because my pace isn't quite up to the time limit. Can I finish a full marathon? Yes, yes I can. Can I do it in 7 hours? Well... not yet. But I'm getting there. I may have to go virtual for a number of other reasons, but that's okay. I have it on my bucket list to "finish on the 50 before I'm 50" as a nod to when the CHKM finished on the 50 yard line at Neyland Stadium. Well, I turn 50 in 2023, so I fully intend to work really hard this year to get my marathon pace to under 16 minutes per mile. I'm not registered for any other live races ATM, though I intend to register for Crazy 8's (which was my only live race in 2021) and the Haunted Half Marathon - both of which are local, so more likely that I'll be able to make them. LOL My goal for them is to get a Personal Best (PB) time. The marathon goal, if I am able to do it live, is "to finish and not die". LOL

With regards to my health, I want to get my blood pressure down a little more and get off some meds. I also want to get closer to my goal weight. Ideally, I'll actually reach my goal weight by the end of the year, but it'll take some doing. Right now, I'd be tickled several different shades of pink to reach "Onederland" (where I weigh under 200#). I don't have far to go for that.

One of my biggest goals for 2022, though, is staying organized. I told you I'd get back to that.... And that means keeping my unread emails down by unsubscribing from mailing lists I've not looked at in YEARS. Thankfully, Gmail has that handy "you've not opened any messages from [company] in two weeks do you want to unsubscribe" thing, which I have been taking advantage of. 😁 I've also upgraded to a Big Happy Planner since it has more room to write in. :-) Check out my Instagram if you want to see how I decorate it!

I also want to do a much better job than I have in keeping up with my housework. Turns out "not having time" wasn't really why I wasn't doing it. LOL But mostly, 2022 is all about getting, and keeping, my head on straight.

What are some of your goals for 2022? Did you make New Year's resolutions? Set intentions?

Whether you did or did not, I wish nothing but the best, happiest, healthiest, most authentic, and most prosperous 2022 to you, my friends!

Be happy! Be healthy! Be you!

What is your "Why"?

There are a lot of reasons that we do things, which is kind of a duh, right?

One of the things that has a myriad of reasons behind why we do the thing is starting an account on social media, especially when it is a non-personal account. I mean, creating an account on Facebook usually means that you want to re-connect with people you've not heard from in a long time or keep up with friends and family who don't live nearby. But creating an account on Instagram, or starting a YouTube channel, or creating a blog usually has a deeper reason. For some, the one and only reason that they create an Instagram account or YouTube channel is to gather followers like eggs from a hen house. These folks do all of the "grow your Instagram account to 10K followers" tricks and don't care if the accounts that follow them are actually real people or not.

Then there are those of us who have a myriad of other reasons for creating an account.

I will be honest (because what would the point be, otherwise) that, when I started my Instagram account, I was interested in growing my audience and that, when my follower count has decreased, I did kind of take it personally. But not because I was worried about how many people do or don't follow me, but because I have been genuinely upset that I was not giving people content to which they can relate.

Then I started creating genuine connections with some of the people with whom I have interacted.

I started interacting with people as, well, people.

So I started thinking about my real "why".

Why I started my Instagram account doesn't necessarily have to be why I continue to use it.

So, what is my why now?

Truthfully, my why now is not that dissimilar from why I started the account. I want to share my creativity with the world (even if the world I share it with is small). I may not have all of the MAMBI stickers ever sold, but that doesn't mean that I can't still share as beautiful and functional a planner as anyone else. Because, really, if my planner isn't functional with the décor that this line of planners is known for, I really should go back to using a Day Timer. LOL

But my Instagram account isn't just about my planners.

My Instagram account is about all of my creativity: my acrylic pour art, my acrylic painting, my chainmaille jewelry. My Instagram account is about my running and my training.

My Instagram account is about me. About my authentic self. About helping other people discover their authentic selves and creativity.

And, so, my goal going forward is to not try to be anyone else with what I share. My goal is to not try to be someone I'm not. If I were to try to be someone else or someone I'm not then I can't be authentic, now can I?

So, for anyone struggling with the number of followers they do or do not have, don't. The number of followers you have (whether you have 10 or 10,000) does not define you and your worth as an artist. It does not define you and your worth as a person. Only you can do that.

Go forth and create and then tell me about it! I'd love to share in your process. At the same time, if you have a social media account, really think about your "why". It's a hard process, but it's definitely a worthwhile one.

Wellness Wednesday: I'm Completely Crazy!

Okay, y'all. I went and did it!

I've done 5 half-marathons, all as part of the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon (https://knoxvillemarathon.com/). I've signed up for a 6th to be done in October, the Haunted Half Marathon (http://werunevents.com/haunted-half/). While I'm not the fastest half-marathoner in the world because I don't run the whole thing, I run intervals, I've still finished 5 half-marathons and I've been guilty of the cliched comment that I'm only half crazy because I run half-marathons.

Well, now I'm completely crazy.

I've been talking about making the attempt at a full marathon for a couple of years now, but just haven't felt ready. And, believe me, you need to feel ready for this endeavor. Because I've not attempted a full yet, I can only impart the wisdom that I've culled from my various marathoner friends: you're never fully ready. I suppose, in a way, it's like deciding to have children. Though I wouldn't know that from experience, either.

When I crossed the finish line of the 2019 half-marathon, I felt amazing! I came within about 6 minutes of beating my personal record and I really think I would have done it if I hadn't lost steam at about mile 11. Regardless, I felt good at the end, which is all you can ever hope for, right? After I'd gotten some food in me, I remember looking across the table at my so-patient and supportive husband, and saying, "I think I'm gonna try the full next year." To his credit, he didn't spit his orange juice across the table at me. He really is one in a million, y'all.

So, fast forward to June 2019. In years past, registration for the next year's race has opened in August, so that's when I intended to make my decision. Instead, I opened my email on June 5 and saw that registration was open. I don't really know what possessed me, but, before I could talk myself out of it, I pulled out my credit card and registered for the full marathon!

Now, I just need to do some serious training and get a bit more of my excess weight off so that I can get my pace down. I have to be able to finish in 7 hours, which is doable, but I need to shave some time off my per-minute pace.

Expect a lot of marathon training blather going forward. LOL In fact, I'll try to put something in the subject line to that effect so you can scroll past if you don't want to read about it. I do hope you'll go with me on my journey, though. If you are an experienced marathoner, I would definitely appreciate some tips!

Accountability and Goal Setting

One of the hardest parts about any kind of fitness/diet/wellness program is that it is extremely difficult to make changes on your own. That's why all the "experts" tell you to get a workout buddy, right? Well, what happens when you don't have someone to be your workout buddy?

You put your program out on the internet.

What? You don't do that? Just me? Well, okay then.

I am of the opinion that, the more people I tell a thing, the more likely I am to do a thing. So I am sharing what I need to be doing on as many platforms as I can and I will create an aura of accountability for myself.

Maybe you need an accountability buddy, yourself. Guess what? I'm right here. Just shoot me an email and I'm glad to check in with you and see how you are doing. Before you do that, though, have you set some goals for yourself? Are they SMART goals? Does that question make you want to look at me as though I have lobsters coming out of my ears? That's okay; you're not alone.

For a goal to be SMART, it must be:

S - specific
M - measurable
A - achievable
R - relevant
T - time-sensitive

There are other words that can go with each of the letters, but we'll go with these for the purposes of this exercise, and we'll take them one at a time.

So, you want a goal to be specific. Let's start with "I want to lose weight." That is a pretty specific goal, but it's not yet a SMART goal.

Taking our weight loss example, you've decided to lose weight. Next, how much weight do you want to lose? It needs to be measurable. This is pretty easy for weight loss, but  you'll need to think of your outcome-based assessment for the successful completion of your goal if your goal is a little more abstract.

It's all well and good to say "I want to lose 75 pounds." That is specific and measurable. But is it achievable? Well, sure, but when you have a lot of weight to lose, it's probably a good idea to break that into, pardon the pun, bite-sized pieces. Maybe "I want to lose 10% of my excess weight" or even 5%. That's maybe more achievable.

Okay, we're getting somewhere. Next, your goal needs to be relevant. This means that the goal really needs to mean something to you. You have to be doing the thing for YOU, not someone else. Don't think that deciding to lose weight because you think it will keep your spouse happy will keep your eye on the prize.

Finally, here's where we put that last piece of the puzzle into place. A SMART goal needs to be time sensitive. Napolean Hill is often quoted as saying "A goal is a dream with a deadline." So slap a deadline on your dream and make it a goal.

So, in our example, a SMART goal would be something like "My goal is to lose 5% of my excess body weight by the end of the year."

And you know what? I'm going to claim that as my goal.

And by putting it out here, on the interwebz, I'm making myself accountable for that goal. There are other goals I'll be making myself accountable for over the coming months. Stay tuned.

REVIEW: ScribeDelivery Subscription Box

If you have been on the internet for more than a hot minute, you are probably aware that there are subscription boxes for pretty much every interest under the sun. What these are, if you don't know, are curated collections sent to you each month for a subscription fee. Some of the curators share with you what you will be receiving each month, and some leave it as a surprise. There are pros and cons to each approach. One of the pros to the curator sharing is to allow subscribers to suspend their subscription that month if the items in the box are not going to be useful to them and their needs. One of the pros to the surprise approach is that you get a, well, a surprise each month. For myself, I kinda like the idea of the surprise, with maybe some teasers. It's like Christmas!

The only box I subscribe to at present is ScribeDelivery (https://www.scribedelivery.com/). For $29/month, you get a collection of pens, notebooks, writing pads, pencils, sticky notes, et cetera, to help you be creative.

From their website: Each month we'll send you a curated, themed box that includes pens, notebooks, and items designed to inspire you to write. We'll have things for you to create, share, and ways to be involved in future boxes.

I have been a subscriber for about 8 months or so, and I have been thrilled with the products I have received. Some of the folks on the Facebook group talk about the fact that the shipment this month or that month is "boring", but everything I have received has been high-quality and has usually been a product that I'd been thinking of trying, but hadn't yet. I've also been exposed to some products that weren't even on my radar! I have discovered some of my new favorite pens and notebooks through being a ScribeDelivery subscriber. My only problem is that I don't want to write in the notebooks sometimes; they're too pretty!

You can suspend your subscription if you need to, and then pick it back up. The folks behind the scenes are always open to questions if you have them.

You might not be as impressed each month as you are other months, but you will still get quality products that are valued much higher than the price you paid for the subscription that month.

If you love pens and notebooks as much as I do, think about subscribing to ScribeDelivery. 

Reviews

I'm gonna try something a bit different and start posting some reviews. These will be reviews of products that I've tried (either because the company asked me to or because I just think they are useful products that I think my readers will appreciate), books that I've read, races I've run, shops I've visited, et cetera. These posts will  have the subject of REVIEW: [what I'm reviewing] so you can scroll past if you aren't interested. I'm also going to try to get better about tagging my posts a little more so that they will be categorized going forward.

I hope that folks will find this a useful addition to the blog. I'm still feeling my way through this blogging business, so the purpose and execution of the blog may change as we journey on. But isn't that the best part of an adventure? Not knowing what comes next?

Happy Father's Day

I don't know how this day affects anyone else, but it makes me a little melancholy because my Daddy has been gone since 2007. It's hard to believe that he's not been in my life for that long, but then I sit in the quiet and I think about all the ways he's still in my life, and it makes me not miss him so much.

This won't be a terribly long post today, but I did want to pop in and wish all of you a Happy Father's Day. All of you who are fathers by biology. All of you who are fathers by marriage. All of you who are both mother AND father.

And those of you who are lucky enough to still have your dad today? Give him a hug for me.