January Challenge -- end of month

So how did I do?

I think I totally owned the Two Desserts a Day challenge. That's sort of my super-power. ... dessert eating.

On the rest of it.... I see I phrased it carefully enough so that it would be hard to totally flop.

1. Exercise. ...incidentally during daily life and in occasional longer duration activities.
2. Healthy Eating. Go back to norm of few simple carbs and fruits or vegetables at most meals.
3. Hydration Goal. Drink more tea as replacement for coffee.
4. Do A Bit Extra Sometimes. ... get out there and engage with the world somehow in an active way (I need reminding to do this : )).
5. Personal Care Routine -- vitamins, teeth etc.

I actually did way better on this than I thought. Hooray!

My worst fall-through was #2.

I think I learned something. If I have a "positive" challenge it works better for me than a "restrictive" one. In other words, most of these were things I needed a simple reminder for. My problem was that I would just forget to do them, so having the challenge helped keep them closer to the top of my Think List.

On the other hand, when my inner self senses "you're going to try to take something away from me, aren't you?" the challenge doesn't work -- in fact, you could almost say it works inversely. I probably did worse on the food thing than I would have without the challenge.

So I'm thinking that maybe for these restrictive things I need a "Method" or a "Plan" not a challenge. Though I'm not an engineering type, this type of thing seems to be my preferred mode of approach. Since I happen to get gratification out of organization, I think that ends up being a psychological PLUS for me that makes up for the perceived deprivation -- or at least, gets me over that initial inertia to the point where eating less is a habit enjoyable for its own sake.

Just thinking!

Resolutions and Retrospectives for 2009

Photo by Brendan R

Almost time for those New Years' Resolutions again!

Here are last years':

• Resolutions and Retrospectives
• Some Learning Goals for 2008
• Reading for 2008

If I look at how I actually did compared to what my goals were:

• Make it the rest of the way to Rivendell. Then find another journey to go on.

(I did this)

• Stay in my target weight range.

(I did this)

• Eat properly and make decent food for my family.

(Hmm.... inconsistent)

• Continue our family story society (which means continue my story, which means getting past writer's block).

(We haven't kept this up)

• Keep the under-structure of our house organized (that means, though the floor might get messy, we have a cleaning and organization system that works so we can find things we want and avoid things we don't want, like super-bacteria.)

(Well, sort of.... see Household Journey and Household Checklists for the nitty-gritty)

• Same with time management.

(hmm, could still use some work)

• Cycle back through the 2007 Learning Goals, on a more practical level this time.

(I let this drop completely....sigh)

• Study 5 encyclicals, 4 GBWW, and the Bible in English with a regular habit of reference to the Greek and Latin (There! That's concrete!)

(I did read at least 5 encyclicals. I didn't get very far with the Great Books, and I didn't get all the way through the Bible like I had hoped).

• Spend time with my family -- reading, games, conversations, travels and traditions. Schedule this in and plan accountability checks.

(I didn't do the scheduling, but I have been slightly better about conversations with the older ones and playing time with the little ones -- still room for improvement)

• Look over my goals at regular times -- once a month -- and see how I'm doing on them.

(Nope, completely let this drop).

• I had hoped to keep a better reading list this year, but I didn't.

(Here, though, is what I did keep. )

I don't think I'll change my resolutions too much for this year. I'll continue the ones I kept and carry over the ones I didn't keep.

I usually try to think of a motto or theme for the year, which was from an idea of Leonie's.

This year, the one I keep thinking of is one I've mentioned before.....

"Purify the source."

It came from Flannery O'Connor by way of Maritain who was quoting Mauriac. According to that, Shelley wrote:

"whatever strengthens and purifies the affections, enlarges the imagination, and adds spirit to sense, is useful"

and again this evokes St Paul:

For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline, think on these things.