The whole reflection on 2010 and looking forward blahblahblah post

I must join the rest of the bloggy world and post some thoughts for a new year.

I don't really have a one word or anything for 2011.

Well, okay, I just thought of one: BETTER

Yes, that will be my word for 2011.

If I had to go back and think of my word in hindsight for 2010, it would be TRANSITION.

It was definitely a transitional year for me:

• it was my year of being 40.
• It was my year for many disappointments in several aspects of my life from family to friends to work.
• It was also my year to grow in Faith.
• It was a year for me to get to know me and like me for ME.
• It was a year to complete a project.
• It was a year that we became an empty nest.
• It was a year that I grew in confidence.
• It was a year that I started running.
• Mostly, I think it was a year that I quit totally focusing on everyone else and began putting myself first at times and realized that it not such a bad thing!

This year I hope to be BETTER:

• Better in balancing my life.
• Better in my Christian life.
• Better at photography.
• Better at friendship.
• Better at being a wife, daughter, stepmom, sister, cousin, niece, DIL, and any other family place that I hold.
• Better at not procrastinating.
• Better at time management (oh wait that is basically the same thing, right?)
• Better at keeping things orderly, neat and clean.
• Better at saving.

I know there are others, but I'll let 2011 take care of those as they come.

I also want to point out that my devotional last night focused on Psalm 51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.   

Basically, the writer pointed out that we can make resolutions to change at any time of the year. We don't have to wait - nor does God want us to wait - until one day of the 365 we recognize in a year to wipe the slate clean and begin a fresh start.  

So with that being said, I may fail at some of my goals and resolutions throughout the year, but I resolve to pick myself up, dust myself off, and jump back i the proverbial saddle and have a "do over", so Happy New Year to you and a Better New Year to me! ;)

2009 is here

So many things to think about when one thinks about a new year.
Things like: fresh starts
resolutions
goals
doing things different or better
being a better person
It all makes my head spin a little honestly!

Usually I have some goals in mind when looking at a new year.

Last year I had several things, but didn't follow through (typical!)

This year - or actually in 2008 before my birthday - I stated a goal I had.
To get myself in shape by my 40th birthday.

so far....I am sucking at it! (to put it bluntly)

Now that it is time to set goals, I reallytrulyhonestlydefinitely want to make this a priority!
There I said it!

I also want to continue to grow in my faith and prayer life.
I had the goal last year of reading my Bible through...again I failed. However, I did read my bible more than the year previous...so in trying to look at things more positively I will say I didn't fail, I made an improvement!!!! I hope to continue to grow in my bible studies.

As for professionally... I hope to continue to grow in my job. I want to continue to set goals, keep my planner and be more organized and proactive !

I also want to continue to improve my photography skills & take more interesting pictures with new perspectives and lighting. I had thought about trying to do a daily photo or a 365 project of self portraits, but I just don't think I am up to it!
Maybe I could do something different each month. hmmm that just might work!

I'm a little interested in doing something I saw over on Art Slam.
This Team Diptych project is so intriguing. It is a combination of things I like and it involves someone other than myself which I think is so cool. Lucrecer always has some interesting prompts to push your creative energies!

If anyone else would be interested in doing this please let me know. No pressure, because I know "life" can happen and trying to keep up with our other priorities can get hard at times, but I would love to see what kind of creative things could come out of this. I think I would do photos, but would be open to mixed media.

One last goal of mine is to have more patience. I seem to have a short fuse...mostly with those closest to me, so I want to make a real effort to be nicer and sweeter in my relationships.

So far on this first day of 2009, I have not accomplished any of these! (maybe a little prayer but that is it!)

Boy, I've started off with a bang!

Tomorrow will be better, I'm certain!

I wish each of you commenters/stalkers/readers/friends/family a most blessed 2009!
Hope you can have some attainable goals for yourself.

I also wanted to say that I have some great pics to share from our little birthday-slash-new year gathering and will try to post those tomorrow, along with pics of my Daily December book that I finished - YAY! Just need to photograph. And maybe I will through in some pictures from Christmas!