I don’t really have too many New Year Resolutions but I do try set some goals. Over the years I’ve always under-estimated myself, not believing that I will keep up with the goals so if there’s money involved in meeting them, I’ll go for the least expensive option. This has not been a recent thing. It’s part of my personality. When I qualified as a nursing sister in 1986, I wanted to do a post-graduate degree in nursing. By the time I started I was married. I registered with UNISA for a Bachelor of Nursing Degree in Education and Community Health. The first year, I took one subject. UNISA is not for everyone and I wasn’t sure it would be for me. The first year would be the trial. The second year, I took two subjects, but still was not sure if I would finish the degree. The third year, I took 3 subjects, but still bought all my books second-hand because I didn’t know if I would finish the degree. By the time I got to my final year, I was so close to the end, I bought any books second-hand because the end was in sight. UNISA, I discovered, was perfect for me.
I did the same when I joined the gym towards the end of last year. I took the cheapest option because I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. This year, I have been to gym 245 times, up to today, so I’ll probably end the year on 248. It’s an average of more than 4 times a week. I think I earned signing up for the any time option which I now have.
I’ve learned I’m pretty disciplined in some areas. However, as I have a short attention span, my goal planning for 2019 has to be realistic. I am going to be challenged in the year ahead because there are areas where I am going to have to up my game if I am going to meet my goals.
One of them is to do more reading.
I have a reputation for being a notoriously slow reader. I get distracted easily and reach for something that I can do in shorter increments. That having been said, I’ve also learned that with all of these things, I can train myself up to do better. It’s like when I was working 2-3 hours a day and had to up the ante to meet an 8 hour work day demand. I trained myself up to be able to do it. Like I’m getting fitter physically, I can get fitter mentally, IF I put in the effort! That’s where the discipline is going to come in.
My reading goals for 2019:
1. Read through the Bible in a year. I did it once as a young Christian. Then in 2007, I did an evening weekly Bible school and read through the Bible in a year that year as part of Bible school. It was so wonderful, so profitable, so insightful, I haven’t stopped. For the last 12 years I’ve read through the Bible every year. It is my hope that this will be something I can try to achieve every year while I am physically able. Almost daily, as I finish my reading and place my Bible back on my bedside table, I am in awe that it speaks to me and is so relevant regardless of how many times I’ve read it. There’s always something that I have missed.
2. Read a book a month. This is going to mean I discipline myself to put down my cell phone, my tablet and my laptop and pick up a book and read it. If I set a time limit of a month per book, I may achieve it. I’ll definitely make a blog note of the book I’m reading each month.
Today has been a wonderfully restful day. I’m almost at the end of my 1000 thanks. There are things I use every day for which I am thankful. #997 of my 1000 thanks is for my cell phone. Keeps me in touch with people and information – at my finger tips. Most amazing tool – I just have to discipline myself to not waste time on it!
Psalm 34:14
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
These are the days!
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gym: 40km on the bike – furthermost I’ve gone. The last ten kms were grueling. It was the gym bike so had all the advantages of no wind, no hills, no helmet, no fear of large trucks or crazy drivers, no getting lost! I listened to Max McLean reading the end of Zechariah and then the four chapters of Malachi twice.
Braces:
Day 44.