blessedharlot.net

I started the year with 6 goals, and reflecting on how they’ve gone so far is an interesting exercise. Here’s the lay of the land:

1) Daily Bible readings in a Bible-in-a-year plan
2) Three hours of reading a week

These have gone spectacularly. I have an app for the daily Bible readings, and have kept up nicely (with only a little catch-up here and there). I’m reading stuff that I really can’t remember reading before. If I actually did read, say, Proverbs, it was with such speed and busyness in grad school that it might as well have never happened. (Of course, I was so bored this time during Proverbs in particular that I’m not certain I retained any more information). Most of this reading has been enriching and satisfying in multiple ways, though there’s no time to pause and study more in depth. I’d like to continue the daily reading after this plan is done, either through another yearly plan (perhaps chronologically by estimated writing date, instead of this year’s canonical plan) or shorter focused studies.

The weekly time goal for reading has also stuck as a habit, to the point that I don’t keep up anymore with adding up minutes, as it’s obvious by week’s end that I’ve done at least three hours. This is my first time focusing on time as a goal, rather than focusing on number of books completed, and it really removes a lot of my reading anxiety. I suspect that my reading project for the year — reading only authors that aren’t entirely ciswhitehetmales — has also sparked a lot of reading interest for me this year too. I’ve just found the most amazing stuff. For comparison’s sake, I’ve read 33 books this year so far. In all of 2012 I read 15.

3) Give something away each month

This has met with some success so far, in developing as a habit. The vagueness of it actually gets my imagination going. It’s encouraged me in particular so far to let go of good clothing in my closet, and to look for ways to purchase new needed items for other folks. I haven’t successfully fulfilled this goal each and every month. But I’m hoping the rest of the year will include me shaping this habit further.

4) 10 intense workouts each month
5) Trying a new exercise this month

I was steadily *almost* making these each month, until my pain started in May. Since then, my health has not allowed for these.

They’re good goals for me, in another circumstance, and I’ll hold them in reserve until I can work with them again. The “intense” definition allows for a lot of flexibility (long cardio, weightlifting, etc) and I can make that work for me.

6) Train and run/walk a half-marathon in December, bringing my time down under 4 hours

I won’t be able to do this. It would not be good for me, and I can’t in good conscience pursue it, because of a diagnosis I received this month where such training could lead to painful and problematic scarring.

I may be able to run/racewalk later in my life. But it’s not the best focus for me now. I’m very sad about that. But I know I’ll find other ways to enjoy moving. That goal #5 will help with this, when the time comes. I have also changed my gym situation so that, as soon as I am able, I have a variety of free yoga classes available to me, which I’m very excited about.