Vacation Notes
Dear Friends,
It’s month one of a brand new year. I love fresh starts. It’s such a natural time to make changes – sometimes you just have to remember that each day is a fresh start and get up and go!
One of my lifers – Ashlee – got me a passion planner for Christmas. This week I staycationed and it was the best thing ever! I….
*Read 2 books
*Finished another one
*Cooked at home
*Rested – like actually rested
*Wore house clothes all the days
*Cleaned the kitchen again and again
*Took care of a pile of things that were just waiting for a rainy day – and we had plenty of those this week.
I got the chance to spend some time in my passion planner dreaming of the life God has given me. I’m so thankful for the people and places and lessons from this last year and the excitement of a new season. When you sit with your passion planner it has you figure out what goal you need to start with to get the rest moved into motion.
What I realized is what I already knew – my health has to be goal #1 of the year. To accomplish what’s in the 5 year forecast I need energy, stamina, the ability to not get strep everytime something big is happening, the maturity to rest and say no, the education to know what choices fuel or fail my body. Health is not just a number or a end goal – it’s an entire life experience. My health includes the physical, mental and emotional aspects of my life.
So…that brings us to month one. Basically you can blame Jen Hatmaker (author of 7) and Ashlee for the crazy way I do life this year.
During Month One I will….
*Not eat out. Sorry bout ya – I love ya, I really do. But I just can’t go to lunch with you. It will be a month of cooking at home, cooking together and building the discipline to make time for what is important – fueling my body well. The foods I cook this month will be healthy foods as well – oddly I don’t spend my grocery money on junk, just my eating out money.
The real truth is I make poor decisions eating out and unless I’m going to go to Grotto every day and then be broke by the end of the month – even healthy options are still full of junk my body does not need.
*Actually be gluten free. Instead of eating a biscuit and pretending like I don’t know it’s laden with gluten, GF will be the way for me. My thyroid needs it, the bloating all of my body is causes need reprieve and I have yet to not be able to find a healthier substitute or just say good bye to it – it’s all a discipline issue.
*Live life on a cash budget. My bills are paid for the month. I have some cash for groceries and limited cash for fun. I’m challenging myself to find creative ways to spend time with the people I want to be with this month. And I’m notorious for buying chicken, freezing it then being weirded out by the thawing out process – so I did groceries on cash forcing myself to use what I have. Gas will go on my debit card but I also left just what was needed in there. (Don’t worry I have access to other funds and 2 different back up plans for emergencies – but unlike other months when my emergencies include “must buy next Amish book in series” only real emergencies will do this time)
I’m really excited. It’s going to suck. It’s basically a spending freeze with food on top of that. EEEEK. But, it’s a month of doing yoga with my friend Stephanie, reading the books on my bookshelf, dominating Mel in Phase 10, cooking with Ash and remembering that no experience and no money can outdo the simplicities of being with people you love. (remind me of that come day 14 when I hate chicken and want to vomit at the thought of eating another piece of broccoli).
***Disclaimer (there’s always one)….due to me being sick, then my Memee getting sick I haven’t seen them yet for Christmas – I’m going next week on my days off and we have long standing plans to eat at the greek restaurant (it’s all fresh and healthy so get off my back) but I will be bending a few rules to be with my grandparents.
What are you goals for month 1 of the new year?
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