{Goals: One week later}

Time to check in on how those New Year's Resolutions are going.

We're just one week from New Year's Day, so most of us are still probably rocking and rolling on our goals, but checking in here and there is good to keep me motivated.

Here are the big 3 goals (condensed version) that I've set for myself this year:

• to listen to my body, intentionally. 
• to intentionally give myself structured down time. 
• to challenge myself to share more of "me" with those around me. 

How am I doing so far?

I'm focusing a lot on making sure to listen to what my body wants, nutritionally, and in regards to activity and rest.  I've cut back on my evening munching quite a bit, choosing instead to find something to drink before heading straight for the chips and salsa.  I've found this week that much of the time when I feel like I'm getting hunger signals from my body, that they are actually thirst signals.  I just haven't learned to recognize them as that.  So I'm choosing to try getting something to drink first, and then to wait before I head for the munchie cupboard.  So far, I feel like I am making better choices, which will eventually lead me into better health.  I also focused this week on really listening to when my body is saying it is full, and not just continuing to eat because my mouth wants more.  This part is REALLY difficult for me.  It is really easy for me to overeat when things taste good, because I just want MORE!  Taking my time when I am eating and stopping when I'm full (not overfull) has been a good challenge for me this week.  Teaching my body not to feel deprived or disappointed when I don't have just one more helping will definitely be a process.

Giving myself some structured downtime has also been going well.  My plan is this:  when I get home from work, I take about 15 minutes to have some downtime.  This can be resting, checking social media, chatting with family members if they are already home. Depending on how my day at work was, my daily workout sometimes falls into "me time" and sometimes I have to make sure I get it in after I've had some other form of rest, before I move into the tasks or plans for the rest of the evening.  These can be household tasks, Oula or church things that need to be taken care of, or even leftover stuff from work that needs to be done.  The key for me is that I've scheduled in more downtime at the end of the evening.  From 9:00 on, I've given myself freedom to stop working on "scheduled things" and move into something of my choice (usually reading a book).  So far this week, I've been able to remind myself of that scheduled "unscheduled" time, and have been able to move ahead with things I need to focus on, instead of retreating into a book at the first moment I get home.

Extending myself to others has already been a challenge this week.  Heading back to work after winter break is always a little challenging, because I go from having a ton of free time, to almost none, especially not at times when other people tend to be available (9:00 gets a little late to hang out, haha). So I feel that lack of contact with others.  And if you read my last blog post, then you already know that I'm still struggling with a lack of confidence that people actually want to hear what I have to say.  I'm working on it.  I knew going into this that this goal would be the most challenging one for me.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to put it out there, but sometimes just saying it makes the difference between thinking and doing. 

So how am I going to focus this week in each goal area?  Here are some thoughts:

Eating/Wellness:  Continue with daily workouts, and do one thing each day that physically affects Oula (work on a new song, practice old songs, do flexibility training, etc.).  Continue to listen to my body, and focus this week on staying hydrated instead of reacting to dehydration.

"Me" time:  This week I'm going to try to limit my social media "browsing".  When you write a blog (and are trying to be more intentional about actually writing a blog), and promote small businesses through social media, this can be a time sucker and a pitfall.  Which is why my focus this week will be to limit my browsing time. 

Sharing:  One area I've been working on is how to reach out to young moms/wives with meal planning.  So, one focus this week will be to begin putting some feet to some brainstorms I've had about how to go about doing this. 

How about you?  How are your goals and resolutions going?  What are you focusing on this week to achieve your goals?

xo~
Becca

{Voices}

Remember when I said I was going to actively be working on ways to share myself with others, and to have confidence that I have something to offer?  But that little, niggling voice that keeps telling that no one is listening, and that it's not really that important? 

I hate that voice.

I hate it more when I listen to it.

Like the entire blog post I just deleted because I reread it and thought that no one wants to listen to what I'm saying.  That the only person it matters to is me.  That there are other bloggers out there who can say it better, do it better, blog it better, which is true.

But.

But.

The instant I hit delete, I was mad.  Mad at myself for giving in and not revising and revisiting and taking a chance.  Not having the confidence that someone might be interested, that it might be helpful to someone.  Mad at that voice of insecurity that said my voice isn't worth my time.  Such a lie.

We all have a voice.  We can use it in various ways.  This blog is just one of many ways I use my voice to influence my world.  And when our voices are shut down, we lose our influence.  When others shut our voices down, it is hurtful to us.  When we shut ourselves down, it is catastrophic. 

Your voice is part of the song.  This part is so easy to say.  It belongs to someone else.  YOUR voice. 

And so I need to stop.  I have to take a minute and take that in.  Make it real.  Make it personal.  My voice is part of the song.  Each voice has a part to bring, and my voice, MY VOICE is part of the song.  In this moment, when I am writing this, I believe it. And yet, even as I'm writing, the voice is creeping in.  The one that says this is too much, or not enough.  Will I let it silence me?

While I can't get that deleted draft back, I can choose to be a part of the ongoing song of life.  Blog posts can be rewritten.  But how will I go forward and not doubt myself in the future, to remember that my voice is important?  I'll be doing some reflecting this week about how each person has a part to play in life.  I often come to Ephesians 4:16, which speaks about how each person has a unique role, and that we grow in love and life when each person comes in and fills their place. 

I picture it as a huge tapestry of life, and when each person steps in, and adds their voice to the song, eventually it can weave a beautiful picture of humanity and love.  But this can only happen when we willingly choose to lend our voices to the sound.

My voice is part of the song.