Blessings, Goals and My Theme for 2022

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!  

MAY THE YEAR 2022 BRING MANY GOOD THINGS TO EACH OF US! 

It is so important to look for the good in life and be grateful for the blessing that come each day.  As I look back over the past year, these are some of the good things that 2021 has brought us (in no particular order):

Health. Our immediate family has managed to stay Covid free.  I did lose an aunt to Covid last January, but other family members are OK, so for the most part, we survived Covid Year 2. We did not have any other major health problems or issues last year either. Praise God!

Vaccines and boosters.  I am grateful that the vaccine and other precautions like masking up have helped us stay safe and healthy. 

Travel.  We were able to do a lot of traveling in 2021.  We made nine trips to various places and each trip was good in its own way.  I am grateful for the ability to travel and make good memories, and get the life experiences and perspective that only travel can offer. 

Education.  Josh has almost finished up his Associate's degree at Ensign College.  His grades are good and he has learned a lot.  He has applied to a four year college to finish a Bachelor's degree.  I have been able to complete FREE (and low cost) college classes online to move toward a salary level increase.

Having enough.  After many years of hardship and struggle early in our marriage, it finally feels like we have "enough."  We are not rich, but we have not had to really worry about paying the bills and making it to the end of the month.  Our income properties have stayed rented to good tenants and have increased in value.  One of  our homes has literally more than doubled in value since we purchased it in 2016.  We are grateful that we have everything we need. 

Family.  We continue to work to reconnect and to have good relationships with all of our children and grandchildren.  We feel that we are moving closer to this, and pray that God will continue to heal hearts and minds and help us all to forgive, reconcile and move forward.  Although our oldest daughter's divorce was hard to hear about, we honestly feel that the marriage was unhealthy for many reasons, and the divorce will end up being a blessing in the long run.  We will continue to pray and reach out to all of our children and grandchildren, and let them know that we love and care about them.  I have also been blessed by renewed connections with other family members, namely my sisters, birth mom and cousins. Those relationships have blessed and continue to bless my life. 

Friends.  I am grateful for the many friends that I have and I am working on reconnecting with friends who I didn't see much during Covid.  I am also grateful for blogging friends who enrich my life in many ways. The bloggers in my blogging community are some of the nicest people ever.  😀

I think that good goals are important in life.  Here is a review of my 2021 goals and a look at how I did with each goal. 

• Read the scriptures every day.  I would say that I read scriptures 75% - 85% of the days in 2021
• Complete the 2021 Come Follow Me Scripture Study. I accomplished this. 
• Index at least 500 records. I accomplished this goal and indexed over 1250 records in 2021. 
• Reach out in a positive way to a family member who does not live with me every week.  This can be different family members, including siblings, cousins, aunts, children and grandchildren.   This can including calling, texting, emailing, or sending a card, gift or letter. I have done this probably 50%  - 60% (estimate) of the weeks this year.  
• Continue to post on my blog at once every week. Yes, I did this - 100%.
• Reach out to a friend (other than work associates) once a week - call, text, email, card or letter. I have done this 75% or more of the weeks this year. 
• Eat healthy - fruits and vegetables with every meal. Limit sugar. I am doing pretty well at this.  
• Continue to count calories - strive for 1500 or less. I am doing well at this and have lost a few pound recently. 
• Exercise every day. I estimate that I exercised 85% - 90% or more of days this past year. 
• Limit time on social media - FaceBook and Twitter to 15 minutes a day.  I have done well with this and have given up scrolling FaceBook, although I do occasionally post. I scoll Instagram 3-5 times per week for 5 minutes or less. 
• Read at least 30 books this year - 15 of those books from personal existing "to read" book stash.  Aim for 30-60 minutes of reading time each day. I read 63 books this year.  I need to do better at reading books from  my "to read" stash.  I did make better use of the library in 2021.  I would estimate that I read 20-30 minutes 85% - 90% of the days this past year. 
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For 2022, I am going to make my goals a little differently than I have in the past, focusing on four areas. 

• Spiritual
• Social
• Intellectual
• Physical

I have made 3-4 goals in each area. These goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals - the kind I teach my students to make.  S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time Based

Here are my 2022 goals:

• Spiritual 

1. Read/Study The Bible daily - 80% of the days in the year. That means that I will read/study my scriptures 292 days next year. That comes to basically six days a week, or 25 days each month. 
2. Make a daily gratitude list 80% of the days in the year.
3. Read six relevant, faith-based, books in the 2022.

• Social

1. Meet up with a friend of group of friends, for lunch, breakfast or dinner once a month. 
2. Continue participation in at least one book group.
3. Reach out to at least one family member (who doesn't live with me) or friend (blogging friends included but contact must be more than a blog comment) once a week, via text, email, snail mail (gift, card or letter) or phone call.
4. Perform one act of service or kindness each day, 80% or 6 out of 7 days a week.

• Intellectual

1. Read at least 35 books during 2022.
2. Complete the remaining 20 hours of college level coursework for salary advancement.
3. Read at least one intellectually stimulating/challenging nonfiction book each month for a total for at least 12 nonfiction books.

• Physical 

1. Exercise at least 40 minutes a day 6 days a week - 80% of the days in 2022.
2. Eat at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal of the day.
3. Fast one meal two days per week, 80% of the weeks during the year, or 42 weeks during the year. 
4. Count calories and keep my calories intake at 1500 or below 5 out of 7 days each week.

Each year,  also like to have a word or words that will be a theme for my year.  After some thought, I want to make this my theme for the year.  

Yes, just "Be Kind."  It's as simple and straightforward as that.  I don't think the past two years have brought out the best in many people, and often find myself feeling exasperated and annoyed with attitudes and actions I don't agree with.  While I may not agree with others, I can always try to see their point of view, have some compassion, and BE KIND.   I want to do better at keeping the second great commandment, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."  That means I need to love myself, and that means I need to be kind to myself and compassionate with my own humanity and human frailties and failings.  My goal is to do better with this in the coming year, and to stop beating myself up for the choices of others.  Just BE KIND!

What goals do you have for this year?  Do you have a word or theme for your year? I would love to hear about it. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a Happy New Year.  May 2022 be a good year for us all. 

😊Deb💚

"Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible."

~The 14th Dalai Lama