A Summer's Focus

I am on the eve of the rest of my summer. Today was my last day working for a school district as a 10 month employee, therefore I have 2 months off to do as I wish.

But I do not want this summer to be like other summers, ones that just pass by you so quickly that you forget what you did all those days of July and August. I want my summer to have purpose, and I want to note how much I’ve grown during them.

So here it is. The first blog post of the summer. I have already decided what my two main foci will be, (and I say only 2 because I recently read you can’t fully commit to more than 2 goals at a time. One is actually optimal.) My 2 goals are:

· Focus on Relationships

o That’s right… I love people but I am a very task-oriented kind of person. So guess what? I have made it my task to be focused on developing relationships with people around me. Friends old and new, I hope to reconnect and strengthen those friendships that are around me. I also want to embrace as many opportunities as possible that will help me meet this focus. For example, I have decided to be a part of a book club. First book up: The Help! (How exciting! Yay books!)

· Write a book

o I have an idea… for a series of books… that I am very excited about. I know there are a lot of books out there, but well, I’m passionate and I love writing. I just have to get over my self-doubt to take a plunge. I am very excited, very excited.

While these are my two foci for the summer, I also intend to make a daily schedule for myself. These are the things that I will try to incorporate into my daily schedule:

· Do a bible study/devotional daily.

· Work out daily (try for at least 5-6 days a week… those ten extra pounds need some help moving out.)

· Work on a project daily. I don’t necessarily have to complete a project daily… but I want to work on one daily. I have a laundry list of things I want to do… So I want to set aside time everyday to pursue and complete these projects. Staying focused will probably be my biggest challenge in this category.

· Work towards developing a relationship everyday. Meaning: meet up with someone, invest in someone’s life, write a note or letter… every day. Make it a daily goal.

· Do at least 15 minutes of cleaning everyday… ::GASP:: Oh man? Has it come to this? My husband is indeed the tidier out of the two of us, and I must honor him by trying to make an effort… however feeble attempt it may be.

· And of course… write or work on my book everyday. This might not be so stringent (not because it is not an absolute passion of mine,) but more because I realize that the creative process comes with its ebbs and flows… Meaning I don’t want to get down on myself because I had a slow day of writing… when in two or three days I could just go to town and whip out a strew of well-written, inspired pages. Don’t fake it, just make it.

So there it is! It might seem simple, but to me it is indeed very complex. Maybe I should make a calendar of all the projects I want to do and the things I want to accomplish to set mini-deadlines for myself. What do you think? I don’t want to get legalistic, but I don’t want to lose sight of my daily goals either. J We’ll see how it all goes…

By the way, don’t you just love the bright blue toes? Totally weird pic, but I couldn’t resist. I’m so excited about them! Yay summer toes!