Today is Mandela Day here in South Africa, a celebration of one of the most iconic leaders of the modern world. One of my favorite quotes from Nelson Mandela is “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Any task can appear insurmountable, and then you chip away, take baby steps and all of a sudden it’s done. It’s sort of the basis of goals or resolutions – you aspire to something, but then need to figure out what exactly you will do in order to get there. I made three main goals for 2017, with a series of sub-goals along the way. So here is an update on my 2017 goals – how successful am I after half a year of striving?
To be honest, I think I’m actually doing better than I give myself credit for. So much of life is filled with mom guilt, with feeling inadequate or like I’m spinning my wheels, but actually I’ve made some pretty huge strides. I knew that I had these goals at the start of the year, but I didn’t make a vision board or anything, so they weren’t always at the front of my mind. Instead, I was focusing on all the little steps I had vowed to take to get there. Looking back now, I can see just how far I’ve come… at least on some of these goals. So here’s a reminder, and then an assessment.
Update on my 2017 Goals – Emigrate to the States
So, this was my first goal for the year. It was a ton of admin and a seriously daunting task. It seemed to take forever. But then we heard congratulations at the consulate, and it’s been a flurry of activity ever since. In fact, I’ve been so busy that I’ve been super stressed, super anxious and even losing track of days! I forgot to do my regular live stream last week because I didn’t even realize that it was Wednesday! Here’s a video I did explaining what happened:
It’s wonderful, though. This goal is almost ready to be ticked off the list. I have many, MANY things on my to do list until we move and after, but on the 15th of August, Dean and I will be getting on a plane and moving to America. We have made this goal happen, we are emigrating to the States!
Update on my 2017 Goals – Feel like myself again
This was a pretty ambiguous one. I didn’t want to make it just about weight loss, but more about connecting with who I am. Not just as Harley’s mom or Dean’s wife or my job’s awesome person, but as myself in my own head and my own skin. I did also want to exercise, though, and I was really great about doing daily yoga… until I totally fell off the wagon. I do plan to pick it up back up again. I also want to go on long walks and get active when we move. However, I have been good about taking the time to be in my own head. I try to carve out time for myself every day, as hard as it is. I’m reading again before bed, even if I sometimes only manage a few minutes before I fall asleep, and I try to just day dream and think my own thoughts.
I do need to do more and better on this goal, but I am feeling better and more like myself now than I was at the start of the year.
Update on my 2017 Goals – Reconnect and grow
This one really surprised me. I have definitely made a bigger effort to connect with people. Dean, Harley and I are awesome and close, often sitting outside to braai or chat, and just generally making time without technological or other distractions. Sure, we could do more and be better, but I’m really pleased with how connected we are. Similarly, I’ve had some really wonderful chats and meet ups with friends. I’ve gotten to see my online friends in person and made an active effort to reach out more. I’m not perfect, though, and there are some friends I’ve barely seen this year. That said, the prospect of emigrating has made some people more available for get togethers, which has been wonderful.
I have sorta dropped the ball on this blog, though, and for that I’m sorry. I really did mean to write more often, and I still plan to. I have been making video content, which is a lot of fun and allows for a more instant connection between you and me, but I know there’s still something different about reading words and whatnot. So I will still be writing words and trying to do so more often. I might need to take a bit of a hiatus during travel time, but I have a feeling that there will be a lot worth writing about along the way. Again, this is a reason to follow me on all the social platforms so that you never miss out on what I do find time to share.
So, all in, I think I’m doing pretty well with my goals for this year. Obviously, there is still a lot of work to be done, but I think I’ve come a lot closer to achieving what I wanted at the start of the year than I give myself credit for. I am already so focused on where I am now that I have new goals for where I’d like to be, but I think this is a pretty decent bit of progress from where I was in January.
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