Looking back on 2015's Goals

 I wanted to review my goals from last year so that I might have a more realistic view to set my 2016 goals. Seeing how it's February 14th and not January 1st you can see that I've chosen not to go with the fad of New Year's resolutions but have opt for what has been most stable for me; that is, not be restricted to societies version of success. For me success has been to satisfy the spirit of my goals rather than the letter of them. Example is the removal of coffee from my year, some would say I utterly failed, and they are welcome to their opinion, it just isn't relevant to my goals. My success is personal and motivates me no matter how small the goal. I hope you enjoy seeing my progress as much as I have thoroughly been encouraged by it all.

Running

I had a running goal of a 5k in under half an hour, I ran the 5k, but due to it being combined with a marksmanship competition, it was far from the half hour half of the goal. I joined the Knight's Cross Country team in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They inspire me every week of season and off season. I remember the first week of running with them, we were to run a warm up mile (previously my best run was round 1.3 miles), 6 half mile repeats (that is we ran a half mile, rest for 2 or 3 minutes, run another half mile), then a cool down mile. If you kept count that was 5 miles during the practice. I was slow and only ended up logging 4 miles, but that was 3 miles further than any other day I'd ever done. In my book anything that is 400% improvement is AWESOME! I think the longest day on the 2015 season was 6 miles in practice, but the most brutal day for me was the day of the timed mile. I warmed up with 1 mile before the team arrived, did their 1 mile warm up, 1 mile timed, 1 mile cool down. Because, again, I'm slower than the team it seemed that I didn't get chances to stop running and breath, but I didn't give up. That was my personal goal, to never quit, no matter what. It burned, let it, I never quit.

Facebook and Twitter

I made the goal of staying off Facebook and Twitter for a whole year. That one was the easiest of all my goals, literally because I didn't have to do anything to maintain the goal. I loved it, it was awesome! I've logged back in on Facebook but hardly go on there, I turned off the notifications so that they wouldn't drive me nuts. I have Messenger, and that's been interesting. I wish people could see how much they chat each other instead of actually verbally speaking. You can tell me all day how you could survive a month without social media, but until you DO IT, then you are all talk and no walk. Are you going to talk the talk or can you stand to walk the walk?

Coffee

No caffeine for the year wasn't one I kept up, I did back off the amount a lot, but not a 100% purge from my life. I have no regrets with that one. I'm happy with my current consumption of coffee. But I'll say this of going off of caffeine for a while, I realized what addiction is and what it means to break it off.  Migraines, weakness, cravings, the whole deal, and it was amazing to discover what it feels like to be addiction free! Now, coffee, soda, teas, it is a choice a decision based on my mind instead of an impulse or "need" for the hit. Caffeine is again effective for a stimulant rather than just a taste.

Reading and Praying

My goals for reading my Bible and Praying more were successful! I am thankful for those goals, and will always be working on them. I not have a print out that allows me to color in bubbles when I read each chapter in my Bible because I don't like trying to read "straight through the Bible in a year", I'd rather soak up the word than blow through it. If you can read that fast and absorb the Truths, then that's epic! But I wonder how many do it for the bragging rights of "I read the Bible in a year, can you?" instead of trudging through a book and digging in deep to grow. Grow your roots deep, seek the deepest water, then you can weather the roughest storms.

Writing

I had a goal of writing and keeping a journal for the year. I did! I was and am soooooo happy about my progress and consistency. I was given a journal for my 24th birthday this year and I've been using it as a "convictions" journal. So when I am convicted about something, for example needing to be more consistent with my prayer life I'll write it in my journal with a date. Hopefully as I go through the year I will be able to go back and read the convictions and see how God has grown me in them.

Happy Valentines Day!

"I am my beloved's,

and his desire is for me."

Song of Solomon 7:10

I don't want to rock the boat,

I mean to sink it.

~ Andy Mineo

Disconnected or Plugged In?

3 - No Facebook, no Twitter

In a desire to be controlled by nothing other than the Lord, I have used this year as a chance to start new habits. Near the end of 2014 there was a short lived fad (I guess it's because it was a convicting one!) of an algorithm that calculated the amount of time you spend on Facebook. Like many, I went ahead and plugged in my info for it, then watched as it computed the results. I don't remember the exact number, but I do remember how shocked I was at the amount of time each day, week, and year that was spent online doing pretty much nothing to impact the world for the gospel. I decided that needed a change. There were a few days I would try to just not look at it as much, but I found that I was quite addicted to it. Because I had so many things I was planning for 2015 I thought that maybe I would set some up to happen in stages, and while for some this is still the plan, it was not going to work for my social media habit.

I have a Mac, her name is Victoria, you'll hear more about her in a later post this year. With the help of a friend, I went into the terminal on Victoria and blocked the sites (Facebook and Twitter) from my computer completely. Now it doesn't matter who tries to get onto those links, my computer can no longer access them. After this I deleted the Facebook app from my phone and the Facebook Messenger app as well.

I have retained my accounts, you can still find my FB and Twitter accounts, but I'm not there. Nor will I be there for a while. At least till the first of 2016, probably not till my 24th birthday. I may *gasp* never come back...because...I feel so much freedom! YAY!

As I have chosen to disconnect from most of my social media and plug into other things, I've found new blocks of time to use. Time for things such as family time. In the first week of the New Year, I began remodeling my bedroom. New Year's Eve I built a furniture fort with my brother. I've spent time out on my farm, enjoying the hiking, and having meals with grandparents and relatives. Time I didn't seem to have before now.

What eats your time? Is it really what you should be spending your time on?

New Year - New Adventures

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Life has been packed, jam packed of late. In fact, it's been so full that I decided to do something drastic about it. For the fun of it, since I am turning 23 this year, I've decided to do 23 somethings about it!

But we'll just start at the beginning.

Not so much a "New Year's Resolution", but rather a decisision to focus on some really important things, cut out distractions, and reevaluate life in every sense possible. This conclusion happens to also come at the same time as the end of the year. Thus it seems to work as a NYR, so call it whatever you like.

Typical NYRs are about health, self improvement, and religious ideas. Well, what do you know! It's perfect!


So, we'll go through it in reverse.

1 - Be more faithful in prayer
I'm desiring to focus my time in more effective ways. I know of nothing more effective in time management than prayer. So this is certainly one of the biggest things on my list of 23 amazing changes.



2 - Be devoted to reading my Bible daily
Likewise, changing a lifestyle is pointless if it's outward alone, but I purpose to hone in on my soul in this year. Soul style changes are important to me. This is something that we should all strive to cultivate, so if you'd like to start a reading plan, here are some from my friends at Ligonier Ministries. They also have a lot of great resources for FREE!!!
Be sure to let me know how your reading plans go.

3 - No  Facebook, no Twitter

I love people. I love talking. I love being connected. But for this season, being connected needs to be very purposeful. It calls for the disconnecting of some areas, so that those efforts can be rerouted in more efficient direction. So this is just one of the the steps I am going to be taking to become more focused in my 23rd year of life. Should be a lot of fun!

4 - No caffeine

After college got my coffee addiction started, I started working for Starbucks. As of December 31, 2014...consuming 11-12 shots of Starbuck's espresso shots, does not effect me. So, for 2015, there will be no caffeine consumed by moi.
There are a few foodie related things I have planned for this year. For January this is my big step. Of all the foodie plans, this is going to be the hardest, so it's going first.


I hope you keep up with me as I go through this year of adventures! Leave a comment with your NYRs, lifestyle changes, and soul changes you have either just jumped into or have been working on lately! I'd love to hear from you.

Together, lets make 2015 a year of glorifying God for the growing and maturing He develops in us!


Adventure is out there!

Ephesians 5:16-17

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."