Resolutions for Any Day

The snow we received a couple of days ago is melting here on the porch. The sun is shining bright, but side streets in town are still snow-packed.

Is anyone surprised that I am two days late with my New Year's message? Probably not anyone who knows me! Yes, always the procrastinator here. Still, I figure I get a bit of a reprieve since New Year's Eve fell on Friday this year and people won't get back to the "normal" routine of their lives until Monday.

How many of you made New Year's resolutions? I didn't, but I have some thought of some resolutions that can apply to any day of the year. Below is my list of things I plan to keep in mind for all months, all seasons, all year long!

When someone hurts my feelings, I will remember there are those whose feelings I have hurt - sometimes without even knowing it.

When someone disappoints me, I will remember my own behavior that has disappointed others.

When I don't feel like cleaning house, I will remember those who don't have a home to clean.

When I want junk food, I will remember those who are dying for lack of anything nutritious.

When I feel impatient as I wait in line, I will remember that people in front of me may have much more pressing tasks to complete than I do.

When I want to curse at some silly circumstance, I will remember that cursing at inanimate objects is totally futile. Cursing at other people is downright hateful.

When I worry about money, I will remember those who have a whole lot less than I do.

When I don't hear from my family or friends as often as I'd like, I will remember the times when I craved a little privacy.

When I don't give my best in all that I do, I will remember how many lives will be affected.

When I don't show kindness to others, I will remember all the kindness that has been extended to me.

When I don't take time to say a prayer, I will remember all those who are taking time to pray for me.

When I don't take time to learn more about the Lord, I will remember all that the Lord knows about me.

When I don't uphold my Christian faith, I will remember how many people may never find the Truth because of my cowardice.

Happy New Year! May 2011 be a happy, healthy, prosperous, and blessed year for all of you!

Thanks for reading my blog!

Magazines - Trash or Treasure?

There was frost on my windshield when I headed out for exercise this morning. It’s a bit too cold to spend time on the porch these days, but I’m glad to have you stop by anyway. Button up your jacket and we’ll keep an eye out for the snow that’s predicted in the next couple of days.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to actually read the magazines I receive in the mail. For the past several years, they have accumulated on my coffee table until the stack gets so high that I finally relegate them to a back room bookshelf with a vow to “someday” explore what waits behind the pages. More time goes by and they end up either at the library or in the trash recycle bin.

Funny thing is, I am not much of a magazine subscriber. Most of the magazines I receive are a result of my membership in various organizations. I receive Toastmasters, AARP (the magazine and a newsletter sort of thing), NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal Employees), and a VFW Auxiliary magazine, plus a fairly thick Colorado Nurse newsletter.

The magazines I subscribe to are, you guessed it, writer’s magazines. Writer’s Digest, The Writer, and The Christian Communicator all appear in my mailbox on a regular basis. I glance at the article titles on the cover and think, “wow, can’t wait to read that!” But a month goes by, then two. The latest novel captures my reading time and the magazines are left to gather dust.

So, I have decided to prioritize. The most important articles, at this time in my life, pertain to writing, so my writing magazines now sit at the top of the “to be read” stack. My next order of business is to choose which articles to read and which to pass over. I’ve had to put my OCD tendencies aside and discriminate as to what will benefit me the most in my writing career at this point in time.

Right now, I’m interested in exploring magazine article writing and short work. Next comes my passion for my WIP (work in progress), so any information that adds to my knowledge of novel writing is bound to catch my eye. Articles about finding an agent and interviews with authors who write in a genre far removed from my own are not as pertinent to me as the ones that address my immediate writing goals.

After the writing magazines are read, I can pick and choose what pertains to me in the other magazines. I don’t have to read every word about an article that speaks to caring for an elderly parent in my home, for example. I’m not in that situation.

I’m finding that there is a treasure of information in magazines. In fact, I have started to apply one of the ideas set forth in an article I read yesterday to my life. In a couple of days, when I see how it works out for me, I’ll write about it.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I would like to wish everyone a healthy, prosperous, successful, and blessed 2008.

The beginning of a new year brings to mind the obligation of resolutions. It seems like the logical time to “sweep out the old, bring in the new”. Start over. Do “everything right”.

There are several definitions of the word “resolution”, but the one I like is “finding a solution to a problem”. I have learned over the course of my life that one does not find the solution to all of one’s problems somewhere between midnight December 31st and 12:01 AM January 1st of the subsequent year.

The solving of problems takes time. It also requires change, and change seldom occurs overnight. Change is a process that must be planned out, evaluated, implemented, and re-evaluated for its effectiveness.

Resolutions are usually broken within the first week. By the first of February, we are in despair over our failure to live a healthier lifestyle or make a dent in the to do list we promised to complete. Most of us still carry the burden of those bad habits we vowed to shake. Sometimes it seems that we remain at a standstill as time marches forward.

This year, I have decided to dispense with resolutions and set goals instead. Defined as “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed”, goals are friendly little things. They represent movement, progress, final arrival at a destination. If they are not achieved by a certain date, they can be moved a bit further along on the calendar without too much protest.

Goals can be broken down into pieces. A resolution is like cramming half a sandwich into one’s mouth all at once, forcing a person to choke it down. Goals can be achieved at a more leisurely pace, making them much more palatable.

A word of warning. Goals come with a companion that cannot be denied. Responsibility. If we do not hold ourselves accountable to our goals, they are as worthless as a paper sack with a hole in the bottom. We have to set up consequences for failure to meet our goals and exercise the self-discipline necessary to enforce them.

Be specific about the goals you wish to achieve and break them down into realistic possibilities. Rather than setting a goal of writing 500 words a day, aim for 2500 words a week. That gives you leeway when the grandkids stop by unexpectedly, you have meetings to attend, or life events just get in the way. This little padding can mean the difference between success and failure.

If you find you are consistently not meeting the goal, take the time to do an evaluation and find out why not. Is it too unrealistic for your life-style? Is it a matter of self-discipline? Are there other things in your life that need to take precedence right now, other goals that are more important?

If you find your goals are feasible, put those consequences in place. “If I have not written 2000 words by Friday, I need to skip that favorite Saturday evening TV show”. Be firm with yourself when you need to be and give yourself a break when it is warranted.

Throw out the resolutions that shatter like tinkling glass when they are broken. Set goals that are tangible, flexible, and rewarding when achieved. Move forward in 2008!

Thanks for reading my blog.