Last week I shared a post of my accomplishments for the week and I feel like it’s worth sharing every week. It gets hard sometimes to see what you get done because we tend to focus on what has yet to be completed. We can be so hard on ourselves and although that can be motivating for some, it can definitely have the opposite effect for others. So let’s try to focus today on what we have gotten done even if it’s something as small as I washed my hair twice this week haha!
Each year is a chance to start working on some new goals, adjusting previous goals, and crossing out goals that no longer apply. Personally, I love to physically write my goals down, yes with pen on paper lol. I enjoy being able to write each down with notes about what needs to be done to accomplish them. It allows me to cross off what is completed and also make any adjustments throughout the year. I feel establishing goals for yourself is a way to keep you motivated, hold yourself accountable, and also keep you focused on your bigger picture. You can set short term (3 months, 6 months, 1 year) and long term goals (3 years, 5 years, lifetime).
Below are some of my 2021 goals I wanted to share with y’all (in no specific order):
Do you make goals for yourself each year? What’s your method of keeping track and holding yourself accountable?
Happy New Year! Let’s make 2021 our year!
Hi all,
This is a rather late post considering it is now March! However, I still wanted to share some of my goals for 2020 because I feel it is a way to hold myself accountable. I want to have a way to reflect on what I got done and what still needs work throughout the year as well as at the end. So here it goes!
I have been going through many changes in my life primarily in my career. These changes have been positive and have really made me realize I can apply positivism in different aspects of my life. This along with conversations with loved ones have persuaded me and motivated me to make some changes.
I use to think I was a really optimistic person but because I am human I have found myself sometimes having negative thoughts. That could range from being judgmental to the way I speak to others when I get upset or frustrated. Therefore, at the beginning of this month, I began a gratitude challenge and it really affected my outlook on life.
This month I decided to put on the optimistic/positive lenses on my glasses and have begun to look at life more differently. With so many blessings around me, I have realized there is no time to dwell on negativity or pettiness. I have to let others be and worry about myself because if change is difficult to do, it is basically impossible to make others do it.
This all sounds great and very easy however it is not! Changing is a difficult thing that takes a lot of will and self-control. I am very conscious of stopping my negative or judgmental thoughts but when it comes to action, it reached another level of difficulty.
Very recently, I had a falling out with a close friend. We spoke about the situation via text and I thought it was put to rest (to an extent). However, shortly after I noticed she stopped watching my stories on social media. YES, it sounds super petty that I even noticed but this is a close friend I am referring to. I was bothered by this because that takes EFFORT. To purposely stop watching someone’s stories either takes the push of a mute button or just physically skipping over selecting that person on your timeline. I was not sure what to think of it and considered addressing it but I did not. That same friend’s birthday rolled around and I actually considered not even saying happy birthday. This is where I had to take control of myself and say do the right thing.
You love this person and although they have resorted to this type of pettiness, do you really want to do the same? How does this play into what you are trying to do with your life today? How will you feel if you skip this person’s special day? These are all of the questions I asked myself throughout the day. Finally, when 6pm came around, I made the decision to send a simple birthday text. It was not my usual long mushy text but it was happy birthday text nonetheless. When I say being the bigger person in this situation was hard, it was HARD! My pride inner voice kept trying to sucker me in but I did not allow it.
I want to put out good into this world. I want to bring positivism and optimism to those around me. This can only start with myself. I know at times I will make mistakes but ultimately I will be making conscious effort to avoid those but also to accept when I do fall short and address that. I feel this is a great way to end the year and also bring into the new year.
Good vibes only & positive thoughts mostly!
Courage to keep changing, faith to keep pushing, love to keep spreading!
Checking in as I finish my November Gratitude Challenge…
At the beginning of November, I randomly came across the November Gratitude Challenge → http://www.gratitudechallenge.com/downloads/gratitude-calendar.pdf. I looked at it, printed, and put it in my planner. I did not really think much of it, I just thought I will get to it when I have time. Not only did I not intentionally make time for it but it was in my planner for a week before I even took another look at it.
I am really glad that I sat down one day and began to read it. It is a very reflective challenge and I encourage everyone to try it, it definitely does not have to be month specific. You could even try to do some of the items on the list in a week span.
Why was it great? Well self-reflection or any reflection for that matter is a good thing. It requires being still for a moment and doing some deep thinking. I don’t really set time aside for myself but this challenge really helped me to make that time that we all need. Some days I would get backed up with the daily tasks but I made it my responsibility to catch up. Some of my favorite ones were thanking some negative things in my life, sending thank you notes to five people who deserve recognition, and standing in front of a mirror and focusing on 5 things you love about yourself.
Such simple sentiments yet not on my daily to do list. Never would I think about thanking the negatives in my life, most times you end up dreading them or letting them stress you out but I literally thanked my negatives out loud and it made feel a sense of relief. Sending thank you notes was my ultimate fave as it required recognizing some close ones that I may not always speak with. It made for a great entry to catch up and acknowledge them. Looking in the mirror is something I do daily but rarely do I ever focus on things I love. Often times, I think about how my hair looks, how I don’t like my outfit, and how I want new glasses like yesterday. This was a bit more challenging for me but so worth it. It gave me a boost of confidence and just what I needed as the end of the year is nearing.
I am feeling extremely grateful for the amazing things happening in my life today. I am also thankful for the not so great things I have faced to get me here. All of it keeps shaping me and influencing to keep on going. I am more determined than I have felt all year and I want to share that with all of you. If you are going through a tough time, struggling with life, or just feeling down, take a look at yourself and what is around and just start thanking each and every bit of it. Struggles eventually run their course and if you stay positive and always keep a bigger goal/picture in mind, you will come out on top!
Hi All,
I am feeling a bit nostalgic today so I wanted to share some thoughts. At the end of 2017, I took a very crazy leap of faith and accepted a new position. Why was it crazy, you ask? Well because it required a significant pay cut and leaving a job after 4 years (my longest job).
I had decided earlier in that year that I would return to grad school and get a degree to work in higher education. I knew it would not be easy and I knew it would require sacrifice. I went through so many situations since making the switch and they were not easy.
Many don’t know but I had interviewed at other schools but was never offered a position. But I did not become discouraged! I knew I wanted to do more with my life. I wanted to make an impact on people’s lives.
I was fortunate to have started my higher education career at the beginning of 2018. Since then I have moved on to a different institution and feel beyond excited for the new opportunity. I am fortunate to be working with a great team and cannot wait to see what the rest of this school year brings for me.
Hi Everyone!!
I am super excited that I can finally write this. I have made some progress on my weight-loss journey. I have started working out and counting calories again. I am almost 2 weeks in and I feel great. I am down 8 pounds from when I started which is a small number but it is definitely a start.
After having baby John, I lost a lot of weight. After I decreased the times I was breastfeeding and returned to work, I quickly put on some unwanted pounds. I am not going to lie, I felt extremely defeated. I felt horrible about myself and couldn’t believe I let this happen to me once again.
I finally got myself out of my own mind and decided to start all over. I began jogging with my dog in the mornings and have now added workout videos at home. I started counting calories because I am not a fan of diets which has helped me control how much and what I eat.
It is still difficult to find the time to workout but I have managed. I tend to just let baby J wander on the floor now that he can crawl and have my big girl sit at the kitchen table doing her homework all while I do my 20-30 minute workout. Talk about crazy house lol.
If there is anyone struggling with weight-loss, all I can say is DON’T GIVE UP! Keep pushing and you will begin to feel better and look better. It will even begin to change your whole aura. At least this is how it is for me! Hope this is inspiring to someone out there. You can also check out my good friend Shina’s weight-loss journey here:
https://marcesview.home.blog/2019/05/07/shina-on-the-road-to-weight-loss/
Hi All,
So last weekend, I went on a quick weekend getaway to Jamaica. It was much needed and made me realize that I have seriously been lacking in taking care of myself! It is crazy when you become so caught up with work, kids, chores, errands, and you forget about taking care of the SELF!!
Throughout my coursework these past two years, we focused on the importance of self-care and how people in the counseling profession need to care for self first. I definitely get an F on that! But today, I decided to write about it as a way to hold myself accountable.
In the past few months since my son was born I lost weight and gained weight. I am NOT where I want to be today in regards to my health or weight at all. This definitely takes a toll on my self-confidence but I know I can change it! This past week I have been eating better and eliminating snacks that are unnecessary calories. I managed to work out three times and hope to do it more often or for longer sessions.
Throughout the next few weeks, I am hoping to stick to these lifestyle changes I am making yet again! I will let you all in on my journey to being healthier and slimming down!
When I take breaks at work, I travel with my planner from Pretty Simple Planner and 2019 Goals Notebook courtesy of the Leadership Certificate Program at Montclair State University. I love writing to-do lists and find joy crossing items off of my list. This year instead of making verbal resolutions, I decided to write my goals in a notebook. I gave each goal it’s own page and make notes when I make progress towards each of them or I cross off items listed below the goal that I complete. It makes me feel accomplished and at the end of the year I can see what I have accomplished and hold myself accountable for those I may not complete. I am optimistic but also a realist and truth is some goals might have to wait because we all know life happens.
I had my first child a little over 10 years ago. When constantly asked “Don’t you remember…?” Well actually “NO!” I don’t remember almost anything from my first baby. I was super young (20) and there are very minimal things I can recall.
Breastfeeding, however, is one of those I actually do remember and let me tell you, I remember it was a terrible experience. I can honestly say I barely tried breastfeeding/pumping. It was very painful and I gave up super quick!! I didn’t research it at all, I just knew it was what I was suppose to do. I can remember having limited support for this so I think that added to why I easily quit. I feel a little bad when I think back at this but there is nothing I can do to change it.
When I was pregnant with my son, I did constant research on breastfeeding including reading a ton of blogs, articles, and watching YouTube videos. I went on an overload of breastfeeding research. My fiance was also supportive as he did his own research as well. We both agreed we wanted our son to be breastfed.
Boy oh boy! When the time came to begin breastfeeding, I was quickly reminded of how hard it was!! I had not even made it out of the hospital before having my first meltdown post baby. I was so frustrated, sore, and tired from trying to properly breastfeed my son. My fiance was a huge help as he constantly got the nurses and lactation specialist at the hospital involved. By the time we left the hospital about 4 days after my son was born, I had my routine pretty set…or so I thought.
Breastfeeding was extremely difficult for the first few days that turned into weeks. After some hurdles, we decided to do both breastfeed and formula feed. I do not feel bad about this at all. It was the best decision we could have made at the time as my lack of producing enough milk was affecting the baby’s weight gain.
For a little bit, I felt extremely down at what I thought was failing at breastfeeding. After speaking to lactation consultants and doing even more research I learned I was not the only one who struggled. For whatever reasons, I just was not one of the women who could produce an abundance of milk and I accepted that. I told myself if I could breastfeed and/or pump until my baby was 6 months I will have accomplished my goal.
Fast forward to the present and I can say I am SUPER PROUD of myself!! My son turned 6 months on the 17th of this month and I am officially done pumping. I probably could have continued but honestly after researching and lots of thought I knew stopping at this point was the best for me. I was constantly thinking about pumping and worried about how much I was not making that it just added stress to my mind. I feel good knowing that I reached my goal and that I was able to provide my son with as much breast milk as I possibly could.
To all the breastfeeding mommas or pumping mommas out there, keep pushing!!! Your baby deserves all that you can give no matter how much or how little! I know it’s hard but you can get through it and if it does not work out, thank goodness for formula!! Don’t feel bad, there’s only so much our bodies can do.
Marce's View 