Okay...without further ado, allow me to update you on the progress of my goals; I know that y'all have been dying to know if and how I made it past January 2. Hopefully the following information will convince you to realize that I wasn't joking when I said that this new year was going to bring out a new Natu.
Goal number 1: Become financially savvy. I am currently meeting this goal because of my reconnection with "my girl" Susie Orman. I re-read one of my favorite blog posts, "Redefining t.g.i.f.," regarding weekly allowances that I shared last July because I started day-dreaming about how at one point I felt like I "had it together" regarding finances. Thanks to the gentle reminder from the post, I now stick to a set amount of spending money every single week and when the money is gone, I have to find a way to have a good time/way to survive for free ninety- nine. In addition to budgeting, I've also incorporated saving to my lifestyle thanks to a valuable resource my friend Derrick shared with me. In the past I've sometimes felt overwhelmed by saving a large amount of money at one time so I appreciate that Derrick's plan allows me to look at it from a weekly perspective. This makes it a lot more manageable, especially when you factor in adult responsibilities. Trust me, if I could remove "pay Chicago rent money" from my to-do list, I would! Y'all should check out Derrick's 52 Week Money Challenge below:
It's week four so you are looking at a girlfran who is $10.00 richer. I know that amount may not seem like a lot to some of you but check in with me in 48 weeks because I'll hopefully be $1, 378.00 dollars stronger. Watch out Destiny Child, I won't be singing your lyrics "can you pay my bills..."
Goal number 2: Improve my health. I take a lot of pride in my progress with this goal. If you had the chance to read my previous blog post, "Promoting wellness at work," you know that I organized a Biggest Loser wellness initiative for my colleagues. We are currently in week 2 and I am excited to share that I've lost 9.5 lbs (and counting). I am not going to lie and say this has been an easy journey. In fact, living a better lifestyle is something that I have to take into consideration 24/7. I think that my "secret weapon" for the competition is that I track every single thing that I put in my mouth (gum, vitamins, meals, snacks, oil/spices used to make dishes, etc) on my Livestrong, My Plate account. I also prioritize sleep (except for tonight because it's been too long since we've caught up), make no excuses for getting in a good workout, and have finally scheduled all the doctor's appointments that I have been meaning to do. I've learned that I really enjoy the fitness class, WERQ; I guess you can easily call me a WERQaholic because this class gets me moving and shedding lbs while having fun. If you've never tried this great cardio workout, visit their website to find a class and instructor near you! I promise it will be worth it. I'm telling y'all, proper nutrition and consistent physical activity can get you far in life. I know that it's easier said than done and that's why I am putting my money where my mouth is! Here's to hoping that it will allow me to not only be the biggest loser and
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| Typical lunch and snacks for me these days. I am all about meal planning thanks to Pinterest and Skinnytaste. |
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| I've been going to the Xsport in Oldtown- reactivating my membership has been worth every cent! |
Goal number 4: Prioritize my relationships. My new thing is reading and talking about personality tests, theories, and research because it allows me to grow in my identity of self as well as gain better insight of the dynamic of my various relationships. Two personality tests that have really resonated with me lately are the Clifton StrengthsFinder (Achiever, Learner, Input, Woo, Focus) and Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (ENTJ). These two resources shed understanding on why I value building relationships with people, hence why I created a goal that was focused on identifying ways to prioritize them. I've done a good job of this by calling my family more often and sending a weekly letter to a friend or family member to stop by to say hello and inform them that I was thinking of them. I'm also considering deactivating from Facebook (once again) so I am encouraged to make the time to see what's going on with the people that I truly care about the most verse scrolling through my newsfeed and calling it a day. If you are big into personality tests, hit me up because I'd love to continue this conversation with you!
Goal number 5: Grow in my faith. This is hands down my most important goal because as I mentioned in my blog post, "Counting my blessings," my faith is at the core of who I am. I don't think it's appropriate for me to list off all the ways that I am meeting this goal because, ideally, it should be reflected by the words that come out of my mouth and how I treat others. I am human and can honestly say that my desire to grow in my faith is and will always be "a work in progress" because I have so much more to learn. Therefore, it's important for me to take the time to stop and listen to the messages that are being formally and informally communicated to me. I was able to do this at a retreat that I led in early January and was able to take away and be reminded of the following important life lessons:
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