Write the Vision....Make it Plain!

In the last 2 weeks since I wrote - I've actually knocked out a few items from my Year 36 Goals list. It's something about writing things down that seals them and makes them more real. Also, writing my goals down in my public blog - makes me want to adhere to them even more. Here's a Year 36 Goals Update:

• Exercise - In the last 2 weeks, I've worked out a total of 10 times! 5 times each week! I ran with Black Girls Run! a total of 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I actually ran over 4 miles on Saturday 8/16 which was the most I have run in a long time. I even dusted off my T25 DVDs and did a couple of workouts. I have to watch myself with T25 because after completing the series - my knees were in very bad shape. That's a whole other story.....I'm still wearing my fitbit, I exceeded my 10K steps per day goal during the week of 8/4 2 times and during the week of 8/11 a total of 3 times. My goal is to walk at least 10K steps 4 times a week - so I've gotta get my steps up! You'll see from the graphs below that I definitely did better with my steps from week to week. As for my weight - no changes there. Partially because my diet is horrible. I really have to do a bit better with my eating *sigh*  

• Just for ME! Can you believe I actually got the opportunity to read...and not one but 2 books! I found this book The Ripple Effect in my husband's computer bag. The author spoke at one of the sales conferences at work and he received the book for attending. It was a very very easy read. I actually read it within 2 days. Here's the premise of the book: "Consider your life as a series of ripples. The experiences in your life and your response to them have led you to exactly where you are now." I'm a firm believer that there are no coincidences in life. We all have a journey designed specifically for us by the almighty God. I take a lot of comfort in knowing that God loves me so much that he designed a journey specifically for me! Back to the book though -  Doug Grady uses a series of his own personal experiences and stories to illustrate how he was able to achieve his goals. Here's my favorite passage in the book:

"Success tends to take disciplined, consistent action over long periods of time. Commitment has little to do with feeling. Commitment means you do it anyway - whether you feel like it or not; whether it is easy or not; whether it is pleasant or not; whether you are too busy or not; whether you are tired or not; whether it is convenient or not. When you consistently do what you say you are going to do, you develop confidence, inner strength, momentum, and ultimately character."

I also read an e-book Be-Attitudes of Speech. The author is Shulunda Gibson who happens to be my sorority sister, so I am extremely proud of her! The book is comprised of a bunch of "BE's" throughout the book i.e. Be Yourself, Be Interesting, Be Well Spoken, Be Sexy, etc. The book is a blueprint for the reader to feel more confident and competent while speaking. I found the book to a very easy read with a great combination of advice to perfect your image and speech plus several quotes and anecdotal notes. I loved the whole spiel on Introverts. I am an introvert - there I said it. It took me years to embrace that! To receive a free copy of her e-book, visit her website: http://www.speechandvoicecenter.com/.

• Cooking - I have tried 3 new recipes in the last 2 weeks: Sour Cream Cheddar Baked Mashed Potatoes,  Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Asparagus, and Corn with Tomatoes and Zucchini. All 3 were great and I would totally recommend. Check out the recipes to get my 2 cents on each one:-) 
• Home Decor - After years of living in our house - I finally hung drapes in our family room!! I'm super excited. They totally change the room and warm it up a bit. I'm so amped - I want to hang drapes in our breakfast nook and dining room - that's next!

I'm very satisfied with the progress I've made to date on my goals - I'm not where I want to be but I definitely see progress - and for that I'm happy!
Camille - She's the best thing EVER. She is growing so fast and she's walking around talking + using sign language! She's a huge snacker and she eats all the time - I guess she gets that honestly. Oh and Camille defaced government property! Yep - while we were getting her passport, she got a crayon out of purse and wrote all over a chair. All I can say is WOW! 

After a lot of consideration - we decided to enroll Camille in a new school. Her current school was sold earlier in the year to new owners. The old owners were fabulous and they were on-site everyday. That definitely spoke to their level of commitment to the school. The daycare is now corporately - owned which makes a HUGE difference. This was a hard decision, but we believe it's ultimately the best thing for Camille. Her first day is September 2.

That's all for now. I've got a short week ahead of me:-) Camille & I are leaving for Missouri to visit my brother on Friday and return on Monday. We are all so excited. 

Until next time....be blessed & encouraged.