April's Goal

I've been doing some thinking about April's goal. First of all, it doesn't technically start until April 4 or 5 or something, but I like things neat, so I figure, close enough. We'll go by calendar month. Second, I've been getting really nervous about exercising 5 times a week, or even attempting something like that. 6 months pregnant, things are only going to get worse for awhile. I decided that since progress, not perfection, is my goal, my revised goal is to exercise 3 times a week. That should be for 30 minutes each time, but I have a 20 minute strength training video which I think should count, as long as it's not every week. That way, the days I'm out running errands or cleaning the house, I don't have to exercise. And if, in month 9, it just means waddling around the block for awhile, I should still be able to keep that up, barring any medical complications of course, which I've never had. Who knows? Maybe it'll bring this one earlier rather than later? :) After baby comes, I claim a month off, then two weeks of easing in at twice a week. That should be more than doable. So that's it. Now I should look ahead to the next month so I can 'get ahead' a bit.....

Almost Missed

I almost missed a day this week. It was Tuesday, my errand day. Originally I had planned to take my Bible in the car and spend the time there, but that shopping time is so precious to me that I opted for reading before bed. This Tuesday I forgot entirely until well after I had gone to bed. But I wasn't that sleepy, so I turned on my little light and read my two chapters. It was good. :)
I'm a little nervous (ok, a lot nervous) about next month - exercise. It's not the exercise, it's the 5x a week, for 30 minutes that I'm nervous about. I'm learning, and I Can Do It. I'm just not sure I really want to.... I mean, isn't 3 or 4 times enough???? And I really should create some sort of realistic plan for tapering down and back up again before and after Baby arrives. I mean, let's be realistic, but not leave it to "how I feel". We all know how well that works!

First Month - Half way...

Guess I missed the 'twice a week' mark for blogging, but we're still doing pretty well. It's not 30 minutes every day, but it's deliberate, daily, unrushed time, and that's the most important thing. I think I like it! I've been a little better about exercise, but like that I don't 'have' to be yet.... one thing at a time! It is amazing how being disciplined in at least one area sort of spills over into others, though. :)

Day 7

I've decided that devotions can include some planning, and perhaps a bit of rest. I enjoy the leisure provided by setting the timer for 30 minutes, but I dislike searching for ways to "fill the time". Since planning is a big part of what I do, and rest is a good thing, I think it's fair to include those. As long as I don't race through my reading to take a nap, that is. :)

Day 4

We didn't quite make it today. No apologies here. It was a busy weekend and I shortened my nap yesterday so I could get a full half hour of devotions in. Today that didn't happen. I did my Bible reading and devotional reading and a shortened prayer time, but no journaling and I looked at the Sunday ads for awhile because my mind just wasn't in the Bible. Then my husband came in and we talked; we'd been out all day and were soon heading out again. Maybe I'll journal at bedtime, but I'm not going out of my way to get 30 minutes tonight. I was definitely out of sorts this afternoon, but I feel better now.
We had small group tonight, and started talking about exactly what I'd started here. It would have been oh-so-appropriate to say I started a blog about my goals and progress, but I'm not ready for that yet.
On another positive note, I exercised Thursday and Friday last week. My goal will be 5 days a week next month, so I'm not worried about Saturday or today. I did what I call "leg exercises", which is just strength training, on Friday. Tonight I felt the need to walk around a bit during small group. When I started to stretch a bit, my legs cramped up! Maybe I started with just a tad too much enthusiasm. Oh well. :)
But I'm feeling better now about my goals. I was having to remind myself earlier this week that this isn't about bondage to rules, but about freedom. Freedom to live the life I really want. And it's my choice. How beautiful is that?!

Confession #1

I don't think I'm a very disciplined mom. I know that depends on perspective, but really, what this is intended to be, is confessions of a disciplined homemaker wannabe. And in a year, maybe I'll live up to its title.

I'm not generally impulsive. And I generally shy away from commitment. If I say something, I intend to follow through, and if I have any doubts, I keep quiet. So this is unusual for me.

I know what to do. I don't do it. I know what would make my life better. I don't do it. I've tried. I need help. So here's what I propose:

For the next year, I will take a month to nail down a discipline that has been evading me. They say 21 days makes a habit. Hopefully a month will cover it. Ben Franklin chose 13 character traits, worked on one character trait a week, and covered each one 4 times in a year. This is similar, but I wanted the continuity of one at a time. Someone else said if we took one year to conquer one of our faults, and so on the next year, we would soon be perfect men. But we don't do it. And I know I'm not alone.

So my goal is to blog 2 times a week to update "the world" on my progress. Even though no one will read this (my greatest fear is that someone I know will...), the idea that someone might may spur me on.

Up first this month, is devotions. I really wanted to do exercise first, but I know that Bible reading really deserves the top spot. Besides, there's no saying I can't work ahead. I was very disciplined about devotions as a teenager and young adult, but getting married and having a baby got me off a lot of things. I was tired of being "legalistic" about it, but at the same time I have been realizing how much I need wisdom, have been asking God for it, and know that spending time in thought, prayer and His Word will not only prove my sincerity, but will also get me exactly where I want to go. So: 30 minutes EVERY day in "devotions". (Can anybody think of a better word?).

Day One: 3/4/10 Success.