Goals

I've got all the books.  I know that the way to success is setting goals, planning your work, working your plan.  Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Francis Martin, Zig Zeigler - I've read them all.

But this isn't that kind of goal.

In fact, less & less of my life is set up with that kind of goal.  I understand the value &, if inspiration strikes, I will fall back on those techniques.  But for 2017, I'm setting some goals that are less about achieving & more about being.

Goals 2017

1. Stop doing shit I don't want to do.
2. Believe that "I don't want to" is a completely valid reason.  Maybe not the most important reason, but still a valid point to consider!
3. Keep reading the things I love & stretch to add a little more non-fiction, poetry, & the classics.
4. Remember the things I enjoy.  Sewing, puzzles, cooking, hitting things with sticks - those are all things that I want to do more - I just have to remember to DO THEM.

I think that's it.  Yeah - I wanna be healthier, be more accountable, clear out clutter.  Floss more.  There's always that list.  But my goals are about happiness, calm, family, & peace.  Right now, as our world shifts around us, those things seem the most important.

Oh yeah - my reading goal.  That's why I STARTED this post.  I like to see how many books I've read in a year.  A good way to keep a tally is the Goodread's goal.  But because it's more about record keeping than about achieving a goal, I always dither about the number.  If I set it too low, I end up changing it over and over.  But heaven help me if I set it too high & feel like I'm somehow FAILING at reading?  Last year I set it at 78.  That's 1.5 books per week.  I ended the year at 119, so that was definitely a safe number.  So I wanna bump it up this year.  I thought 8/month would be good.  That's 2 per week, almost.  But that is 96 and my favorite number is 97 so, duh, time to round UP.

Therefore:

      5.      Read 97 books this year.  Or more.  Or less.  Whatever

You have goals for the year?  Wanna hang out & work on a puzzle?  Whattya gonna read this year?  Can I borrow it when you're done?

Oh - and no matter what - remember that I care about you.  Things feel uncertain (at best) right now.  We need to stick together.  I see you.  I'm here for you.  Really.  

xo
sash

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Battle Wounds

Sometimes stress needs a more immediate release than can be found in a book or at the sewing machine.  At those moments, I really need to kill things.

Usually those things are demons, undead, and other pixelated evils. 

Tromper - Survivalist Hunter

   Which I can shoot,

Bramblethorn - Protection Warrior

          Whack with a sword,

Carindre - Restoration Druid

Or leave to the devices of my allies (while I keep my guildies alive from a safe distance)

Sometimes, however, virtual violence isn't enough.  I must hit things.  With sticks.

In particular, I hit a pell (upright, padded target my darling hubby built for me) with either bokken (wooden practice sword) or tanto (knife - in this case, a wooden practice version).

I must have been extra tense this week.  I was trying to remember all the basic escrima moves. & managed to strain something in my mid/lower back.  I didn't have my notes so I was relying on muscle memory.  Clearly what my muscles didn't remember was how long it's been since I've done any escrima.  

Sheesh.

I couldn't remember beyond the first 4-5 moves.  I need to check with Sensei Craig but maybe I'll wait a couple weeks first.

Meanwhile, about those demons....

xo
sash

About Time

An hour stuck in traffic v an hour in World of Warcraft.

The hour of sleep from 10pm to 11pm v the hour from 5am to 6am.

We have gears & atomic vibrations to pinpoint the duration of those 60 minutes.  They are exactly the same length of time.

One day (tomorrow for example) v the past 35,328 days.

That's 96 years, 8 months, 19 days that my dad has been on this earth.  And tomorrow is one more that he will probably still be here.

Ticking by.  The hours we spend & waste.  The days we try to notice & use wisely, but may regret & second guess.

The vast past.

The future.

And yes, it is "about time" that I post again.  Two months.  Oy.  I have done things.  Sewing things. Reading things. Hitting things with sticks.  Singing, crying, laughing.  Wrestling the puppy & hiding in my room.

This day, I will do what I can.  I will work, share love, & try not to spatter crazy on anyone.

I will savor each moment - except the ones that I don't - & I will strive to not wig out about it either way.

xo

sash