Monday, December 31, 2018

My Word Of The Year for 2019, and the Living Your Word 2019 Challenge.



wordoftheyear


This is the second year I've decided to choose a word of the year for myself, to help keep me focused for the entire year.   Ali Edwards, the creator of One Little Word,  says this practice of selecting and living with a word for the year is "seeing life through an intentional lens".

This year my word has been FAITH, and I've found a multitude of ways to focus on it. I've gotten more serious about my Bible reading and study, I've begun Bible journaling, and I've gotten involved, or more involved in three Bible study groups. I've also looked for ways to put my FAITH in action...working in the church nursery every week, helping out at the homeless shelter, and providing meals for the Ronald McDonald House. 

Next year I'm working to rid my life of stress and chaos. I considered several words along the way but finally came up with one that feels perfect for me.  So, for 2019, my word of the year will be CONTENT.
content
Content
adjective
  1. 1.
    in a state of peaceful happiness.
    "he seemed more content, less bitter"
    synonyms:contentedsatisfiedpleased, gratified, fulfilledhappycheerfulglad

One of the ways I plan to keep myself focused on my word is by taking part in the Living Your Word 2019 challenge. This Facebook group will have a bi-weekly A to Z challenge where we will be choosing a word for each letter of the alphabet and explore how it relates to our core word. There will be inspirational questions and activities for each letter of the alphabet. Then we are encouraged to find Scripture passages to go deeper into exploring each word in relationship to our word. 

I will be sharing a blog post on my journey every other week. Hope you will join me to follow along.

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Thirty-One: Lessons Learned

32

Lessons learned in 2018:
  1. The people you love the most can hurt you the worst.
  2. Keep trying. Not succeeding isn't the same as failing.
  3. Be authentic.
  4. It's okay to say no, even to people you love.
  5. Endings are also new beginnings.
  6. Learn to trust yourself.


Sunday, December 30, 2018

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-Nine: 2019 Will Feel Successful If...

30

My 2019 will feel successful if:
  1. I can maintain at least some, if not all, of my intentions and goals.
  2. I can get through it without serious injury or illness.
  3. I don't make too many stupid mistakes.


Friday, December 28, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-Eight: Career

29
I'm retired from my primary career as an elementary school teacher, but I suppose I could consider writing as my "career" these days. In 2018, I haven't done as much of it as I should have, as I was suffering from burnout/apathy/something. In 2019, I am going to set aside a specific time period every day to work on my autobiography/memoir, and to write at least one short story a month. 

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-Seven: Education

28

Find more free online college courses which interest me in 2019. 
Get back to my local writers' group for critique and encouragement.
Try to learn at least one new thing every day.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-Five: Self-Care

26

Self-care plans for 2019:
  1. Setting a schedule for going to bed and getting up.
  2. Exercising on a regular basis
  3. Spend quality time with the husband
  4. Bubble baths
  5. Journaling
  6. Bible reading/study and prayer
  7. Snuggling with my cat, Gandalf.
  8. Chocolate whenever I want it.


Monday, December 24, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-Four: Something New

25

New things for 2019:
  1. Creating a morning ritual/routine: Bible study, journaling, exercise (currently reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
  2. Decluttering my home and my life
  3. Putting ME first in a lot more situations.


Sunday, December 23, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-Three: Setting Intentions

24

Things I intend to do in 2019:
  1. Create and keep a morning routine
  2. Read the Bible from beginning to end
  3. Better self-care, particularly getting more sleep and more exercise.
  4. Stop setting myself up for disappointment with unrealistic expectations.


Friday, December 21, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twenty-One: Stop Doing

22

Letting others decide who I am
Charging so many unnecessary purchases
Spending too much time online
Caring about how others perceive me
Putting off unpleasant tasks



Thursday, December 20, 2018

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Nineteen: Start Doing

20

Daily journaling
Daily blogging
Go to bed no later than midnight
Morning affirmations to build self-confidence/self-esteem
Make a more conscious effort to avoid clutter
Create a cleaning plan

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Monday, December 17, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Seventeen: Unfinished Business

18

My autobiography/memoir--I've been talking about it for years and this year I started organizing materials for it, but haven't gotten very far in the writing stage yet.
Decluttering the house
Personal relationship issues

Friday, December 14, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Fourteen:Smart Decisions

15

Smart decisions in 2018:
  1. To try to get 8 hours of sleep a night
  2. To let go of worrying so much about things I can't control
  3. To not take other people's opinions of/comments about me so seriously

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Thirteen: Breakthrough Moment

14

My breakthrough moment this year? Not really sure if I've had it yet. I've had a few "aha" moments, but they don't last long, and then I go right back to the same mindset/behavior.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Twelve: New Skills Learned

13

New skills learned:
  1. Coping: I'm learning to better accept the circumstances of my life and relationships and not to get so caught up in dreams/hopes/expectations. Breathe in....breathe out....and remember "Not my circus, not my monkeys."
  2. Self-care: Goes along with the first one. I tend to put everyone and everything ahead of myself and feel guilty about taking "me time,"---but without it, I end up depleted, angry, and resentful.
  3. Dependence: Also goes with the other two. It involves learning to delegate tasks, and to ask for help when I'm feeling overwhelmed.


Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Eleven: Progress Toward Goals

12

Progress toward goals:
  1. Lost ten of the twenty pounds I need to lose.
  2. Back to daily blogging.
  3. Organizing stories for autobiography/memoir
  4. Sticking with daily devotional/Bible reading


Monday, December 10, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Ten: Money Well Spent

11

Money well spent this year:
  1. New Lenovo laptop
  2. Scribbles That Matter journal
  3. All money spent while my oldest grandson was visiting this summer
  4. Personalized ornaments for our tree with the names of all our children and grandchildren




Sunday, December 9, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Nine: Could Have Gone Better

10

The main thing that could have gone better in 2018 is my writing. I suffered major burnout--didn't work on my blogs (other than my book review one, and sometimes even that got behind), didn't work on my memoir, didn't write poetry, didn't write fiction, didn't even go to my writers' group meetings. Putting these challenge entries on my blog is a start to making it go better in 2019.

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Eight: Successes

9

My successes this year have been more general than specific:
  1. Surviving what life throws at me
  2. Finding my purpose in life
  3. Doing it all with a SMILE


Friday, December 7, 2018

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Six: This Year, I...

7

This year, I...
  1. Finally got a smartphone
  2. Was diagnosed with a rare eye condition and had a laser procedure to treat it
  3. Worked on being less impacted by choices my adult children make
  4. Started decluttering my house and my life


Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Five: My Biggest Challenge

6

My biggest challenge in 2018 has been learning to be content with life just the way it is. I tend to look toward the negative things and wonder how I can make them better, no matter what the situation. I've been getting a lot of little nudges lately to concentrate on being content, so it's time to listen. 

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day Four: Biggest Accomplishment

5

My biggest accomplishment in 2018 has been developing a habit of daily Bible reading, studying, and journaling (even developing a bit of artistic talent in the process). Since my word for this year has been FAITH, this has been a huge part of living that word.

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Boho Berry December Challenge, Day One: Introduction

1

I am Teresa, a 57-year-old woman who lives in Ohio. I am a daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, friend, teacher, writer--and so many other things! My favorite color is blue--more specifically Tardis blue.
.tardis-blue
My hobbies include reading, writing (mostly poetry and short stories), journaling, genealogy, music, and movies.
Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask!

Friday, November 30, 2018

A New 31 Day Challenge: Year-End Review

47398125-10212674890648608-5200325360952016896-n

Ready to start looking back at 2018 and then looking forward to 2019. I can tell by looking at these prompts some will be easier than others, and some will be tough to look back on. BUT, I'm going to power through them all and see what comes of it. (Also hope to do these challenges as many months as I can in 2019, to see what I learn about me and what I can leave here for others to learn about me.)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...