2014 is coming to an end....

Remember me??? I am still alive and trying to be better about this blogging thing.....let's see how this goes. Back in the beginning of last year I wrote a blog called The Four Fs which broke down my vision and things I wanted to work on in 2014 and this weekend I will be attending a gathering to see how my vision board went. So in preparation I decided to look back on more Four Fs and see what I have done.

Faith

Fitness

Finances

Future

Faith

Well...this didn't go as plan. Maybe because I attempted to read more and study more I hit road blocks. I do believe my faith has grown, but I didn't read as much as I planned. I did take time out at least once a week to study scripture outside of what I got while at church and I did read a couple of books to help strengthen my faith. I also started following several blogs that help me have more of an educated faith. I also failed in the studying of other religions part of my goals, so this will be carried on till next year.

Fitness

Fitness went ok, but the end of the year was an epic fail, well not epic, but not great. Through my church's churchfit program I lost about 40 pounds.....but because I am an emotional eater I gained 20 pounds of that back :-( But what has been a plus is a friend who added me to a group on facebook and the group is a motivator. I am working on what I eat and working on working out more consistently, even in the cold weather. So this year was not a total loss, but not as great as I wanted it to be.  But I will say, that my clothes are getting looser so I am excited!!!

Finances

Finances I can say went in a positive direction. I received a promotion at my job that allowed me to not have to work 2 jobs which is a blessing, but I held on to the part time job working it PRN for extra money and to help save.  I have begun to stick to a budget, pay of stupid debt, and build up my savings. I am not ballin yet, but I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!! I have learned from my past mistakes and I am thinking more long term than short term gratification. Now I still make mistakes, but not as many and I am still improving. One step at a time.....

Future

Now comes my future.....What is my future? That is still developing and looking over this past year I think I have done several things to help me in grow into what my future is becoming.....I have experienced career growth, I am actually a supervisor now! There is someone in my life right now and I am seeing where this is going.....not saying I am heading toward a family, but I am trying "dating outside the box." Am I happier? Not really sure, these past couple of months have been interesting for me and challenging, but what  I do know is it has helped me grow which I am enjoying. Life is not always perfect or what you expect, but I do know God has a plan and I am seeing where this is going to take me.....

The Journey

The Journey has been interesting and I realize this upcoming year I will be 35!!! (shhh! don't tell anyone) I have begun to think about I will continue to accomplish and continue to do to grow and learn. So we shall see where this takes me.  When I was 30 I did a "30 while 30 list" which I think I might do the same while I am 35.  But, the biggest lesson I have learned this year is that my life my not look like others I and I might not be taking the same paths as others, but this is my life and I am living it and making my mark in this world. I am and will continue to enjoy the journey!!!

Pic from 2nd vision board I did last year. Had a blast

Recent picture of me, I always have to remember to smile!!!

The Four Fs

Faith

Fitness

Finances

Future

What are these? My focus in 2014. Last night I was working with the kids I mentor on vision boards and everything I have been thinking about during my Facebook break came together. Thank you God!!! These are 4 areas of my life that I want to target this year..... aggressively. Every year people, I, make goals or resolutions and every year I accomplish some and fail at others. This year I want to be more intentional about what is to come.

How am I going to do this? Good question...... One thing I that I sometimes have issues with is following through things that are hard for me. Easy things? I got this, but things that I struggle with, I say I am going to change, I start out great.....hit a road block and I am done. But I realize I need to make some major changes in my life. So each area listed above has to have a realistic plan.

Faith

This past year my faith has been on struggle. Why? I honestly don't know completely. Growing up in church faith was always apart of my life, but did I understand it? No.....I did what I was told, what was fun, and it became a habit for me. Through college I grew in my faith and began to understand things for me....not what my elders told me. Imagine being a college student almost failing out, losing scholarships and grants, parents divorce, mother gets breast cancer, sister dies (amongst 4 other close relatives), and father goes down a spiral of alcoholism that eventually lead to his death.....but I always had a mentality of but God!! My faith back then was the only stable thing in my life back then. So why is my faith shaky now? Still processing that. I question....a lot, it is my nature. I want to know why!!!!! Things have to make sense to me and right now.....there is a lot in my life that doesn't make sense.

So.....this year my goal is to study more of why do I believe what I believe. Read the Bible more and have more quiet time. If I only read a chapter in the Bible a day.....it's a start. Also read more books explaining Christianity and what it means to be a Christian. Books to help me walk in my faith, just not talk about it, be about it. I also want to study other religions, I believe in God, but I think you can learn a lot from understanding what other people believe in. 

Fitness

I am fat....yeah I said it. I am actually obese. It is what it is. My last doctor's appointment was not great at all. No health problems, but the weight is the worst it has ever been. I admit I can be an emotional eater and learning to stop doing this, but it takes time. I also realize I don't workout regularly. This must change. I have to lose weight.....lots of it over time (didn't gain it overnight, won't lose it overnight)

My plan......I have to be more intentional on eating and exercise. I think I am going back to cutting out meat.....think this is when the weight loss sky rocketed, when I fell back in love with bacon. I also have to cut out fast food, now that I am not working as much this will be easier to accomplish. Green smoothies are great and I like! Just need to continue to get creative with them so I don't get bored. Next the workouts....my church is having an event called ChurchFit and I am hoping it helps give me a kick start. I have targeted 3 workout classes that actually fit into my schedule and I am excited about them!! I also want to aim for the Women's half marathon in September. I love to walk and I just have to focus and dedicate to training.....this cold weather keeps getting in the way. I think when I do these things I will see progress. For 2014 my goal is to lose 75 pounds. One pound at a time.

Finances

Another struggle for me......Coupled with ridiculous student loans and having problems sticking to a budget I need to make changes. Last year I paid off a lot of stupid debt and I hope to get all stupid debt paid off by March. So this year is going to be a year of savings. I am learning to pay cash for everything and not charging anything. I am admitting to myself I don't NEED the latest gadget or item I see. I am determined to put away a certain percentage of my check each month in an account that is not easily accessible. That way I can't just electronically transfer money when I want to splurge. I am also going to try real hard not to eat out at all.....you know how much money I waste eating out? I want to be a better steward of my money one day at a time.

Future

What does the future hold for me? I honestly don't know. What do I see in my future.....a variety of things. I want career growth, but right now I don't know what that end goal or ultimate job will be, but I do have some things in the work that I hope I can report on soon. I love what I do, but I don't want to do it forever. I need a new challenge (and more money.....just being honest). I want a family? But what does that look like? Good question.....each year I set and hope that my relationship status will change (been the same for a long time.....my whole life) but each year it doesn't. How do I change that? If you can answer that......please let me know. But, I realize I want a family in my future. I want children and I want someone to share that with. So......first step is going out on a date (don't think this goal is ever going to change until it actually happens). So as I was creating my vision board I came across an article that had the phrase "dating outside the box" which is something I am going to try.....hopefully. What I do know about my future is that is bright and 2014 I think is the beginning of a brighter future for me.

The Journey

It is going to be long and hard, but I think it is worth it. I will blog about successes and failures here.....I hope I will be transparent and learn from this journey. In the end I just want to be a better me.

My Vision Book

Several blogs ago I did a post about starting my vision book.  The process has begun and it is harder than I thought it would be. I wanted to be specific in what I put in the book and just did not want something general. but wanted something that focuses in on different areas of my life.

What I did was basically make a scrabook of things in my life that I have a vision for. Nothing to small, nothing to big.  Topics include finances, love, family, career, the finer things, mentoring, education...I could go on and on, but those are few.  I used various pictures, old magazines, stickers, cut outs to visualize what my vision is on those areas of my life.  It is a fun project, but it is hard finidhing the "deeper" areas of my life such as...faith, career, education, famly, and my biggest tackle...my legacy. I saw one blogger who did a vision board which works for some, but I wanted more details. 

Below are a few of the pages that I have finished or close to finishing.  Some are more private so not able to share.

First is the title page. It is sample. Has some things about me and scriptures, sayings, and things that I like...it is more of an introduction.

Next page is one on finances...this is always a struggle for me. I love to spend and not save :-( Working on it....

Another page...well 2 pages is love and family. This includes so much that I could not limit to one page. Still working on these pages, but almost done :-)

One page that I am really having fun with is my role models page...people I look up to and who have and still are positive influences in my life.  My goal is to do a big collage of everyone. I have started and still have a way to go...Some are famous, some are not...I am loving how the page is turning out :-)

So these are just a few glimpses of the start of my vision book. What I love is that I can add on as I grow and as I live out the vision.  I would say I hope to finish this project soon...but the more I work on it, the more I realize that it is a neverending project.

So my question for you is have you thought about your vision? I have you written it done and what plans do you have to fulfill your vision?

Hope everyone has a great day. Started my day at work off way to early...HELP!!!

Write the vision, and make it plain....

This is the second post I attempted to write today...first post is on the backburner for now, it just wasn't flowing right.  Hopefully this one will go better...

This morning I was catching up on the blogs that I did not read over the holidays. A lot of them were about resolutions they were making for the new year and recaps of 2009.  This got me to thinking or gave me inspiration.  Do I want to do a resolution? NOPE! Do I want to recap the joys and pains that I have had over the past year?? NOPE!! So what will I do....

I have decided to start a vision book. I started this project with the kids I mentor and said I would do one also, but I never did.  I have started to do more research to get some ideas of how to work on it.  I almost said a vision board, but I don't think a board, or a single poster board would be enough for what I want to do.  Habbakuk 2:2 says "Write the vision, and make it plain..."  This is what I am doing.  I think seeing it written down gives you a level of accountability and inspiration. Making it into a book gives it some creativity and gives you something to work on and puts images and ideas in front of you.

I started to say a vision book for my life or myself, but my vision goes beyond me, and beyond my life.  I think everyone should leave a legacy.  I think too often people think about themselves too often and they don't think about how their actions affect other people.  One thing that I think about is generations to come...What I do can make an impact on people who are born long after I am gone.  Everyone leaves an impact in this world, rather it be big or small, bad or good.  Question becomes what legacy are you leaving????

This morning I picked up some items to start on my vision book (with a gift card from Christmas...one vision I have is to be debt free!!!) and I am excited about starting on it tonight. After work I am going to pick up a couple of more things (with more gift cards) and then I will have a great start.

2010 will be a new year. Don't know all that it holds, but I am excited!! I am excited for what the rest of 2009 brings!  One of my college classmates who has been through a lot this year posted this in her status today and it inspired me. I will leave you with this...

Isaiah 43:18-19

18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

What is your vision?  What is in store for you in 2010?