Thursday, September 4, 2014

What Is The Purpose?

This blog was supposed to be about HOW to get there.  How to snap out of the phase of life where all I am doing is surviving and get to a point where I am thriving.  It has to be possible.  I have that hope.  It would be a sad state of life if once you were in a survival mode you never left it!  But, the question that remains is HOW.  How do you get there?

This blog may look like a fail... it has been years in the making - but that is also the purpose.  The blog was so I could capture the journey and be able to look back and understand how I got there (once I get there that is).  Because if I can understand it better, than I HOPE to help others find their way.

Here is my new start... my new attempt and making this a reality.  Goals.  Yep.  Had them before and failed at them before.  But, I am tired of saying I am trying.  I am not going to try.  I WILL press forward.  I suppose it takes a different state.  Perhaps a state of desperation?  I don't know.  I have thought I was there before, only to find I wasn't ready to stop trying and just do it.  But I don't know that I understand why that is yet.

Here are my goals... Declared publicly!

#1 - We sold our house and I have some serious work to do.  I want this move to be orderly and not chaos.  So, my first goal is to work consistently at packing to be competed with packing the house by the end of September.  I did three boxes last night.  I have a hundred more to do, but I made progress.

#2 - Weight.  Ugh!  It is so ridiculous.  But today I told myself if I can't make this a reality - how do I expect to reach ANY goals.  This is doable... I just have to WORK HARD!  I want to loose 40lbs by Jan 31, 2015.  I plan to keep a food journal and keep my calories at 1200/day.  And I have the FIRM Express videos.  They are 20 min great workouts.  I have to find 20 minutes.  No excuses.  So - 6 days a week.  3 days a week I will do 2 videos.

#3 Finish My Book. Diary of a Widow.  I am going to work on it one full night a month.  While I am traveling on business.  Perfect opportunity to dig in.

#4 Family Book.  I hate that I am not doing any photo journaling.  So, my goal is to do 2 this year.  One on my mother-in-law's life and one on our family.  Both to be complete by Christmas.  I will spend 2 hours on 2 Sunday's a month.  I hope that is sufficient time to complete.

#5 Career.  I have until mid-December to collect all the information I need to chart a course towards completing my degree.

So - here it is.  Declared publicly.  The question is will you hear from me again anytime soon?  Always the question.  :)

Off to Thrive!

~K.J.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Victory in Thriving

I used to be fun.. and want to be fun again.  So, I must celebrate the progress.

Monday - Labor Day.

We went to a local Ski Resort to take advantage of their Summer Fun.  Ropes courses.  High in the trees.  It was hard. I survived.. and maybe even thrived a little.  :)

We were STARVING when we were done so went to the on-site snack shack.  As we sat eating, Billy Joel's Piano Man came on the radio.  I sang.  (you should know that is not a pretty sound)  Then, I sang louder.  Then, I stood up on the fireplace hearth and did a little karaoke type display.  Very loudly.

I thought the kids would die of embarrassment.  Everyone survived.  And I felt that I had thrived. Even if just for a moment.