As you know if you’ve even glanced at any of my recent blogs, I am super stoked for Christmas. In fact, Miracle on 34th Street is playing in the background as I write. I can’t wait!
But, today, I’m also thinking a bit beyond Christmas joy for a minute to 2018 and doing some goal setting and plan making.
It’s only ten days away now – WOW!
Last week, I completely reworked my vision board (yes, in hippie nutrition school, we are vision board people) to reflect my life now:
In the big picture, I want to focus on my family, faith, writing, reading, and being a more conscious consumer (that’s the meaning of the Toms sticker), among other things. But more specific goals and plans are needed.
So, here we go:
Healthy Weight For My Joints.
I’ve written several times about the prednisone induced weight gain that I have experienced. The bottom line is that it is a great strain on my joints, worsening my pain and complicating my disease process. So, though it is VERY difficult to lose weight while on prednisone, it has to be done. To do so, I will need to:
- Follow a low carb diet. From a metabolic standpoint, that is the only thing that will work while on steroid therapy.
- Swim four days per week for exercise. It is the only form of exercise my joints – and my broken foot – can tolerate.
- Set a goal of one pound per week. As it is really difficult to lose weight on steroids, that is a reasonable goal.
Write More.
As one of my goals is to eventually write a book, I plan to post daily here in 2018. Writers write.
And:
Read More.
My to read stacks currently look like this:
And that isn’t all of them. I read quite often as it is, but, this year, my goal is to finish two books per week as I am forever adding to my to read stack and I’m sure Mr. Stephen King isn’t wrong.
My Most Important To Read.
The running joke between Sara and I is that the One Year Bible on the left is my Two Year – One Year Bible because I started it in 2016 and am finishing it this year.
The crazy thing about that is that I stopped it in 2016, and then, this year, I felt strongly lead to pick it back up and discovered that the day I did was only two days off from when I stopped it. I was able to pick right back up and get going. A total God thing.
Well, this year I am finishing it, and now I love, love, love having it as part of my quiet time so I found a different version of a One Year Bible for 2018 (as I’m sure I will do each year).
I’m really excited about this upcoming year’s version. It focuses on how the entire Bible points to Jesus. I think it is going to be amazing.
Small Group.
With work and life and just being slow, I waited forever to join the Dream Team at church, and, now that I have, it is the biggest blessing. I love it so much.
So, this year, I will participate in small groups each session as well. I know it will a great thing so I’m not going to let myself put it off.
I share all of this both to make myself accountable and to remind all of you to start thinking about next year too. I can’t believe it’s already upon us but it is.
I’m looking forward to completing my nutrition program in May (yay!!!).
And, as I did this year, I plan to keep shows and road trips on the calendar to look forward to. It helps me so much when illness makes things difficult.
And this year Joey will turn 16, and my baby, Sara, will go to high school. Wow. It’s a big one for our family!
For now, I’m off to do some reading and finish a module of school work today.
I have been really sick these past few days (all of the recent stress brought on some GI bleeding) but I am working on getting my strength back now to enjoy the holiday and looking ahead to all the good things coming.
I’m waiting on a few more Christmas gifts to arrive in the mail so I can get them wrapped and looking forward to our big family Christmas at the lake later this week. I can’t wait to see everybody and we always have the best time! (and it’s Henry’s first family Christmas!)
Then, this weekend, of course, we have Christmas at church and then Christmas at home!
And, next week, I have a Christmas/New Year trip to see my bestie!
So many good things!
Be well, everybody, and Happy Thursday!
Grace and Blessings.
the autoimmune hippie. 