One Down, Eleven To Go...

I hate to be Captain Obvious here, but we are already finished with our first month of 2016. Geez, how did that happen?

The end of the month is a great time to reflect back on how things are going. How are you doing on those goals you set this year?  Don't groan.  It is far better to look now than wait until the end of the year.  Don't be afraid to look at them.  That's why we wrote them down, remember?  So again, I ask you, how are you doing on those goals?

I have to admit I am pretty pleased with my progress.  I have made some steps to do things that I really wanted (and in some cases needed) to do. They didn't take a terribly long time.  I just had to focus on doing it.  Have I done everything perfectly?  HaHa, don't make me laugh.  But that's ok.  It's all about the progress.

Let me tell you a story.  Last year, my big goal was to actually start this blog.  And I did!  (yeah!) And this year, my goal was to blog more consistently (3 times a week to be exact) and I knew that was going to be an adjustment for me.  This is about to be my 11th post for the month, which is way more than I did any month last year.  I stuck to my schedule (Tues, Thurs and Sun posts) every day except for this past Tues.  It was the only day I missed the whole month.  And do you know what I did?  I started to beat myself up mentally for not doing it.  Isn't that terrible? Reviewing your goals at the end of the month is not meant to be the movie Fight Club.  It's meant to be Steel Magnolias.

Here's what you have to do.  Make yourself a cup of tea.  Get comfy.  Sit down with your goal list for the year.  Review it.  Be realistic.  Talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend. Here's what I said later..."Wait just a minute here.  Last year, I had just started this blog.  One year later and I will have done 12 posts in one month.  That is incredible."  But hear how my story started out.  I didn't start out thinking that.  I started out at being mad at myself for missing one day in the month.  Shame on me.

I think that is why a lot of us hate thinking or talking about our goals.  Because we hear ourselves saying "I need to be better".  "I need to do this."   "I should have done that."  And I tell ya'll, I used to be the Queen of beating myself up over things.  I think I am still in the royal court, but I have definitely made improvements.  Here is what I am believing this year.  And I have to remind myself this ALL.  THE.  TIME.  I am believing the promises that God has made to me.  And I know I can do all things THROUGH Christ.  Not through Kim Holmes.  I am excited about the things I want to do this year.  And I don't have time to beat myself up for my shortcomings.  Because I am just Kim Holmes.  I will never do it all and certainly not perfectly.  But that is ok.  Because Christ is in me.  What I can't do, He certainly can.  And this gives me an overabundant supply of hope for myself and my life this year.

Tonight I was listening to Joyce Meyer and she said you need to make a decision.  Make a decision to enjoy your journey.  WOW.  How powerful is that?  I am not trying to drive myself insane by reaching all these goals.  I am trying to change myself.  To challenge myself.  I am asking God to continue to help me change and grow.  I want to be better. And I want, no, I need, to enjoy myself while God is changing me.

One of my dear friends gave me this mug.  Be true.  To yourself.  In the movie, The Incredibles, the young Syndrome says to Mr. Incredible, "You always say be true to yourself but you never say what part to be true to." I say all of it, my friend.  Every bit.

All those goals you wrote down for this year, you can do it.  Every bit.

Be True~
K