2011 in review
Well I know it's a day early. But I'm home alone right now so I have to take advantage of it!
In October I set a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2011. Today, about 20 minutes ago, I completed that goal.
Most miles run in a month: 138.8 (April)
Most miles run in a week: 37 (week of May 2)
Most miles run in a day: 26.2 (June 11, also set a new PR for the marathon)
Now on to more important goals:
Potty training C: Completed, with the added bonus of potty training Y as well! No more diapers for me except for when I am watching other people's kids. :)
Being a better business owner/employee: Done, with the help of part-time daycare for the kids.
Admitting I need help: Improvements made in 2011
Becoming more compassionate: Still working on, but hopefully moving in the right direction
Losing 7 pounds: Not done. At all. But I haven't gained weight so that's gotta count for something!
Getting up early to have quiet time before anybody else wakes up: Accomplished more often than not, which is a big improvement.
Keeping my house cleaner: That is really questionable.
I have so many things I know I need to work on for 2012. But so many things are up in the air! The boys might go home and we may or may not get a new child or two. If we get a young child, I will probably want to try staying home again (this time with one or two children instead of 3). And yes, I say instead of 3, because I was home with the baby 5 days a week for 6 months, and it was very difficult. I love her to pieces but it was just too much on my plate, and I can see that now.
I have learned so much about myself this year. I feel like I am doing a better job of taking care of myself and asking for help when I need it, and that is making me a nicer person to be around and hopefully a better foster parent and human being in general.
The problem with making general goals is that it is difficult to gauge. I love having goals and making lists...almost every day I make a list of what I need to accomplish that day, and I feel much satisfaction when I get to check something off the list. Making goals in running is so easy, because you just put on your shoes, and you go out and you do it. It might suck, but you have a starting point and an ending point and all you have to do is get there. Then when you get there, you can quit for the day! You're done, you met your goal!
With goals like "Be a better parent", "Teach my child the value of money", etc., there is just so much gray area. So much depends on what you do every day, and how your child takes it. And with foster kids, there is so much out of our control. We might try to teach a child that if you want money you earn it, but their family might teach them that if they ask for it, they get money! Or that if it's one person's pay day, everyone else gets some money too.
And sometimes being a better parent means your child might be mad at you (even though we all know they should be mad at themselves for their sad choices!). So in the child's eyes, maybe you are a worse parent instead of a better one.
Lots of thoughts going on in my head today as we get ready to start a new year. So much is up in the air. One thing is for certain though, and that is that God knows what the year will bring even though I do not!
In October I set a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2011. Today, about 20 minutes ago, I completed that goal.
Most miles run in a month: 138.8 (April)
Most miles run in a week: 37 (week of May 2)
Most miles run in a day: 26.2 (June 11, also set a new PR for the marathon)
Now on to more important goals:
Potty training C: Completed, with the added bonus of potty training Y as well! No more diapers for me except for when I am watching other people's kids. :)
Being a better business owner/employee: Done, with the help of part-time daycare for the kids.
Admitting I need help: Improvements made in 2011
Becoming more compassionate: Still working on, but hopefully moving in the right direction
Losing 7 pounds: Not done. At all. But I haven't gained weight so that's gotta count for something!
Getting up early to have quiet time before anybody else wakes up: Accomplished more often than not, which is a big improvement.
Keeping my house cleaner: That is really questionable.
I have so many things I know I need to work on for 2012. But so many things are up in the air! The boys might go home and we may or may not get a new child or two. If we get a young child, I will probably want to try staying home again (this time with one or two children instead of 3). And yes, I say instead of 3, because I was home with the baby 5 days a week for 6 months, and it was very difficult. I love her to pieces but it was just too much on my plate, and I can see that now.
I have learned so much about myself this year. I feel like I am doing a better job of taking care of myself and asking for help when I need it, and that is making me a nicer person to be around and hopefully a better foster parent and human being in general.
The problem with making general goals is that it is difficult to gauge. I love having goals and making lists...almost every day I make a list of what I need to accomplish that day, and I feel much satisfaction when I get to check something off the list. Making goals in running is so easy, because you just put on your shoes, and you go out and you do it. It might suck, but you have a starting point and an ending point and all you have to do is get there. Then when you get there, you can quit for the day! You're done, you met your goal!
With goals like "Be a better parent", "Teach my child the value of money", etc., there is just so much gray area. So much depends on what you do every day, and how your child takes it. And with foster kids, there is so much out of our control. We might try to teach a child that if you want money you earn it, but their family might teach them that if they ask for it, they get money! Or that if it's one person's pay day, everyone else gets some money too.
And sometimes being a better parent means your child might be mad at you (even though we all know they should be mad at themselves for their sad choices!). So in the child's eyes, maybe you are a worse parent instead of a better one.
Lots of thoughts going on in my head today as we get ready to start a new year. So much is up in the air. One thing is for certain though, and that is that God knows what the year will bring even though I do not!
I'm really glad you are setting goal even if some of them are more difficult to measure. Better to do that than not at all. You are doing a great job!
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