HAPPY 2018!

Nothing like a new year to sit back and revisit the things you accomplished or still need to accomplish.  I like flipping through my journal and reading the moments that I captured on paper.  The entries make me laugh out loud as well as reach for my box of tissues.  Going back and reflecting on the past year gives me hope for things to come.   I know research says that most resolutions won’t be maintained for any length of time, but that doesn’t stop me from trying! 

As I look back at my list of resolutions or goals for the year, I actually accomplished quite a few.   Everything was something that I needed to maintain every New Year.  I think it’s more about creating habits or replacing bad habits until it’s a way of life.  Creating a mindset should be the main goal then everything else falls under that. 

So let’s see…I completed the Daniel Fast.  I’m actually going to do that again this year.  I believe it’s a wonderful jump start to detoxing the body and tuning in to the Lord’s voice. 

I didn’t read a book a month.  I think the original challenge was a book a week.  That was totally unrealistic for me but I couldn’t pull off one a month either.  The majority of my leisure reading was during the summer.  I did read a total of four books this year.  

I did take on a new attitude that I’m happy to say has become a way of thinking.  I count it all joy!  Even when things look dark and dreary, I’m learning that there is a lesson to be learned.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel sad or disappointed but my response is that I realize that there is a bigger picture and like always, this too shall pass. 

I fell short of the goal of pampering myself this year.  That’s definitely going back on the list! I would like to take advantage of the time off and travel more.  I did, however, invest in myself.  Some would argue that investing in one’s self is more important.  I think we need balance in all we do.   I went to a teacher conference.  I also took some self-paced courses online, read blogs and watched videos on how to edit and create digital products.  I created a budget and increased my savings while paying off debt.  I have already made plans to attend more conferences this spring and summer. 

I did write down the things that I accomplished each day.  I would make a To-Do list but then found myself doing things that were not originally on the list.  It felt good to write it in and then check it off!  I know that sounds silly, but it brought me joy!

All in all, I did pretty well with my “resolutions”.  At least that’s what I’m telling myself.  I have a brand new journal ready to capture the moments and ideas of 2018. 

What resolutions did you keep throughout the year? 

Acts of Kindness!

I know that the holiday season is over and we have started the quest for a NEW everything!  A new body, a new mind, a new job, you name it, we want it!  Let's not leave the message of caring for others in this month of ME.  I'm going to give out this calendar and challenge my students to complete the task for the day.  I'm blessed in the fact that the majority of my students are kindhearted anyway.  However, I want them to keep that spirit of kindness and become aware of the feeling they get when they do something nice for someone else.  Try it with your class and let me know how these small acts of kindness transformed your students!!

January Acts of Kindness Calendar

Happy New Year!

New beginnings and a fresh start!  

I always want to rebuild, rethink, refresh, and reinvent myself!  Actually, I don’t even wait until a new year to switch things up!  I’m constantly rearranging things in my life.  March is just as good as January to make changes.  However, the listiness (is that a word) in me would never pass up an opportunity to create a new To Do work of art.  Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic but it’s true.  I stopped creating a yearly Vision Board and now I have a Vison Wall!  I add and move things around as the year goes by.  It’s a beautiful feeling to see ideas and goals come to fruition.  

Here are my top 5 to start off 2017.

      Complete the Daniel Fast   

This fast is great to jump start healthy eating habits.  It’s also great because the focus is not just about the food but renewing my relationship with God. 

The Daniel Fast Cheat Sheet

       Read a book a month 

I came across a 52 Week Book challenge and it was pretty cool, but I know I would not be able to keep up with that schedule.  I’ll just pick out one book a month to read.  I notice that I don’t read e-books as much as a hardcover book.  There is something about the feel of a book and the turning of pages that excites me.  I will continue to use my Kindle, but I think I will go back to paper books this year.

The Alchemist

Real Heroes 

Creative Schools

        
         Count it all joy

I ended out the year looking for the positive in every situation.  Sometimes it was a struggle but I tried to find the silver lining in everything that happened.  I want to continue that this year.  It sounds cliché when you hear it’s not what happens to you but how you react, but it’s really true.  It helps to know that there is a bigger picture and things happen to grow my faith.  So I started saying, “Count it all joy”, when situations made me angry or when things did not go as planned. 

My happy place

      Pamper and Invest in self

We tend to confuse the two.  I want to be pampered but I need to invest in myself.  So this is the year of learning a new language (or maybe some phrases), learning more about blogging and creating digital products, examining my retirement options and savings plan.  I also want to take time to relax and enjoy myself this year.  Take in a movie, get a mani/pedi, indulge in a massage, or have my tresses twisted by a licensed hairdresser!!

        Make a monthly ‘What did I accomplish?’ list

I guess this would be the To Do list’s fraternal twin.  Sometimes I beat myself up because I feel like I didn’t accomplish the items on my To Do list.  I have to realize that there are steps to be taken in reaching the larger goals and many times I don’t itemize each action.  So when I complete a stroke to finishing the big picture, it gets lost.  Does that make sense?  I want to celebrate the baby steps and moves it takes to reach that higher goal. 

I Did It!!

This is just a sample of my changes for 2017.  Now, let me get back to making lesson plans…winter break is coming to an end. 

What are your plans for this New Year?