Shift of Thought

Horizon

I can't even pretend to be on track with all of my goals for 2019. Life gets in the way and other things take priority. Instead of getting down on myself, I own my choices and make some adjustments to get back on track.

If I am to own up to my shortcomings, I also need to own my successes. One area where I have remained on track has been with increasing my reading for pleasure. I completed Bill Bryson's Home and am currently reading B. A. Shapiro's The Muralist. Not every night, but I try to devote at least 30 minutes before bed each night to reading. It's not much, but it is what I feel I can do right now. Perhaps my next goal should be to cut down on Netflix time??

I've also kept up with engaging in my community. Granted, most weeks this one is a given...my volunteer position in the Democratic party guarantees participation. Some weeks though, there just aren't meetings or big events. Like this past week. Instead, I attended my town's First Friday event. This involved visiting local businesses, talking to local artists, and making a donation of soda cans for a local recycling drive that will benefit the lunch programs at local elementary schools.

Areas where I have not kept up include personal writing and artistic endeavors. My exercise and healthy eating have been spotty, but they're in the mix. I'm finding that engaging in writing and creative endeavors is tougher than I thought it would be. It's not that I don't want to. I find that I have a number of excuses, but really it's that I end up prioritizing something else or think of my daily schedule in a way that doesn't support these activities. And by that I mean, that I think of writing as something to do at the end of the day. Why? I enjoy slow, quiet weekend mornings. Why can't that be time for introspection and writing?

This is some of the work I need to do - shift my thinking. Just a small shift can lead to some amazing results! Just a small shift can lead to a path where I can accomplish each goal I set for myself. And, in keeping with re-thinking how I spend my time, I used time differently this weekend. Instead of watching Netflix on Saturday night, I broke out the easel and the paints. Instead of watching the news on Sunday morning, I turned on the computer for some writing. It's a start, it's a kernel of what could be.