New Year's resolutions, Lent, goals, life, passion, and more...

I’m on goal and achievement overload! I heard something at church recently, “If the grass looks greener on the other side, fertilize your side.” Profound isn’t it. I’ve been pondering that for a week or two so that combined with the last two days of Oprah really have my head spinning. We weren’t put on this earth to gather stuff like we do. It isn’t our life purpose to buy SUVs, houses, clothing, and TVs. So what is our purpose then? Well I think the specifics are different for each person, however the general idea is all the same. Our purpose here is to be spiritual beings; to seek our higher power and be as intimate as possible with our higher power and ourselves. To know and love ourselves intimately is really the greatest gift we can give ourselves and those around us we love.



To know and love ourselves and our maker as intimately as possible means practicing several things as part of our daily lives. Some of us started the year with good intentions by setting New Years resolutions. That isn’t good enough though, we need a plan, goals, etc. I personally am not catholic but Lent is sort of like the universe giving us a second chance at starting the year out right. We create these resolutions often without a plan of action so has anything changed for you since January 1? Have you put any of those resolutions into practice? Well whether Catholic or not, now is as good a time as any to get started on some of those changes we all want to make. 40 days! Starting yesterday, pick one item off of your resolution list and put it into practice. If weight loss is a resolution of yours then start with one item. Either pledge to do some form of exercise for 30 min. daily for 40 days or give up pop or fast food for 40 days. If you want to watch less TV then start by giving up 1 show for 40 days. It’s that simple. Start small. 40 days is enough time to create a habit but not so open-ended that you still have over 250 days left in the year to get started!



I didn’t create resolutions this year or any other year for that matter. I do, like many of us, have goals though. Like many others those goals have different priorities. Here are a few of mine:
Buy a home
Author a book and get it published
Open a Tim Horton’s
Find my niche, my purpose in life

I have MANY other goals but I’ll start with a few small ones to get me started in the right direction. I want to buy a new home in two years. Well I can’t just sit back for two years then just go buy my dream home now can I? No! Our family needs to prepare. My husband will finish his 8 classes or so he has left to obtain his degree which will increase his income which will get us closer to that dream home.



I plan to complete an online training course to get me working full-time from home and put all that extra money in a money-market account to start saving for a down payment for that dream home. I need to bring in some kind of income and start saving while I’m waiting for God, my higher power, the universe (whatever you want to call it) to make arrangements for me to meet my publisher to get that book out on the New York Bestsellers list! Speaking of books; I’ve created a blog (obviously) to get my words, thoughts, and writing down in front of an audience and start building readership. I believe the efforts I make with my blog will direct the path of my writing and ultimately a book will be developed out of that experience among others.



So I’ve got a plan for the house and the book. Obviously I think my niche, passion, and life purpose are wrapped into my writing. Outside of that though, I’ve purchased Oprah’s latest book club read titled A New Earth. Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. I’m going to read the book and participate in her 10 week webinar to really get to know me and find my purpose and passion. Writing is a gift my Lord gave me and one I’m excited to explore and use. In addition, I know I have a purpose in the Kingdom, some work meant for me on this earth to help others. I seek that purpose as well.



Finally, Tim Horton’s! My husband and I absolutely LOVE Tim Horton’s. We both long for financial freedom and to be entrepreneurs. We also long to have more flexible lives so we can take advantage as much as possible of the precious time we have with our five fabulous children.



So I’ve got goals and I’ve got a plan for those goals. I’m off to cut and paste pictures that line up with my dreams onto a bulletin board to be displayed front and center in the middle of my kitchen. Our “vision board” will be a daily reminder of what our family is working toward together and trying to achieve. It should be interesting to see my blog in 40 days to see how the first month or so goes.



Cheers! To 40 days!