ROW Round 1 Goals

I am so looking forward to Round 1 of A Round of Words. (It’s still not too late to sign up. Check it out here.)

Here are the goals I would like to accomplish by the end of this round – or sooner.

Editing

I plan to have Laura’s manuscript completed by the end of the week.

I should be done editing Carolyn’s manuscript by the middle of January.

Deb and I are pretty much finished our “final” edit. Now we wait for for the publisher’s recommendations and go from there.

I will continue on as First Editor for the Write! On news bulletin – at least for now.

Writing

I have a chapter of Deb’s manuscript to finish. I should be done by the end of the week.

The plan is to complete the essay and research paper for my doula certification course by the end of January. Hopefully, I won’t put this off again.

I want to have the first draft of my children’s chapbook completed by the end of June.

I intend to write at least two picture books per month.

I’ve tweaked my blogging schedule. I now plan to post a poem each morning Monday through Friday. I will write Monday Motivation every Thursday to be posted at the first of each week. I’ll write five other posts on a variety of topics every Saturday. Once or twice a month I will add a book review.

Submissions

I plan to submit at least four ideas every other month.

Reading

Skills Development – complete one book, or the equivalent, every other month

Reading for my course – to be done by the end of February

Blogging for Books – read a book each month (I usually alternate between fiction and non-fiction.)

Booksneeze – I have my first book, but I’m not sure I can set aside enough time every month to read two books.

Volunteer Work

I hope to get things posted on the Write! Canada conference site as they come in.

Exercise & Fitness

The plan is to complete thirty minutes of exercise six times per week.

I truly must eat better.

Row Specific Goals

Check in twice per week.

Stop by fellow ROWers’ sites every Monday or Thursday.

Continue connecting with my writing buddy regularly.

All the Best, my Fellow ROWers!

Casual Theology

Since my #1 Goal for 2012 is to more deliberately share my faith, and since this is the only blog I hadn’t brought under my Eclectic Interests umbrella – I thought it was time.

I have set myself the goal of reading through the Bible over the next two years. Once a week, I will share something that stood out to me from the previous seven days.

If you would like to explore my older posts, please pop over to Casual Theology here.

The plan is to post every Saturday, so I’ll see you on the seventh.

May 2012 overflow with blessing and wonder.

What is a Doula?

I originally posted this on another site. I invite you to check out my older posts there.

I get a variety of responses when I tell people I’m a labour doula-in-training. But the most typical is a raised eyebrow.

If you, like them, don’t really know what a doula does, let me explain. But first, let me point out what a doula does NOT do.

She does NOT…

1. give medical advice

2. conduct medical tests

3. conduct medical examinations

4. criticize you for making decisions you feel are best for you – even if she may personally disagree with those decisions

However, she does…

1. provide resources and information so you can make decisions that are right for you, your partner, and your baby

2. meet with you before the baby comes (How many times you meet is up to you and your doula.)

3. joins you when you go into labour (at a previously agreed upon stage and location)

4. makes sure there is always someone with you during labour (unless, of course, you want to be alone and it is medically advisable)

5. provides comfort measures (for example, massage, counterpressure, verbal encouragement, or just a hand to hold)

6. tends to your needs and in some cases, the needs of your partner

7. suggests ways to cope with labour and keep things progressing

8. takes pictures if you wish (and she is photographically-inclined)

9. helps you get started breastfeeding if so desired

10. visits within the week after the baby’s arrival to go over the birth

There are different types of doulas, but the above is an overview of the services I provide.

I would love to share your stories. If you’ve had a doula, please share your experience with me at stephanienickel@yahoo.com. If you would like to hire a labour doula and live in Southwestern Ontario, let me know, and we can talk.

Steps for a Simpler New Year

Step One

I love lists. My list of goals for 2012 is extensive. However, I gave it some thought and came up with my #1 Goal for the New Year, the one thing I want to accomplish if all my other goals are a wash. My #1 Goal is to more deliberately share my faith.

How about you? What’s your #1 Goal for the coming year?

Step Two

Based on an assignment I did a million years ago – okay, closer to thirty – I’ll choose a long term goal and work backwards. Like many people, I would like to lose weight. By December 31, 2012, I would like to be 25 pounds lighter. That’s a mere two pounds per month. I can do that.

In January, I will seek to make exercise a regular part of my schedule. In February, I will continue to exercise and significantly limit my consumption of junk food. In March, I will do both and add a third habit needed for consistent weightloss.

Breaking down a big goal into bite-sized pieces allows us to celebrates the little victories along the way.

Will this work for one or more of your goals?

Step Three

Say NO! I’m not really one to talk about this. I have a tendency to take on more than I should. However, learning just how much I can do well will help me decide when I should decline certain opportunities – even if I’d love to pursue them.

If we create a list of personal priorities and weigh new opportunities against this list, it will be easier to decide what to take on and what to walk away from.

Do you have any current opportunities you should decline?

Step Four

Now let’s combine a few of the previous steps. If I set a goal (say declutter the house) and a list of priorities (i.e. God, family, friends, clients, etc), I can compare the two by asking some simple questions. Will this goal advance Priority #1, Priority #2, etc? How much time can I devote to accomplishing the goal?

When I’ve answered these questions, I can break down each goal into it’s parts and schedule them into my agenda.

Do you have goals you have to scrap because they don’t line up with your priorities? Do new goals come to mind when you actually consider your priorities?

Step Five

This step can be extremely tedious, but extremely revealing. Now that we have our list of priorities recorded, it’s time to put it to the test. (Again, this idea came from one of my Bible college professors.)

Record your activity for a week and how much time you spend on each activity.

The following could be from a page in my journal.

8:00 – get up, have breakfast, shower, dress

9:00 – turn on computer, check email and social networks

11:00 (oops!) – start work…

The results may reveal that our priorities are completely opposite of what we’d listed. At the end of the week, we may realize we should create a more realistic list of priorities or perhaps – as is the case for me – devote more time to what is truly important.

All the Best for a Simpler, More Joy-filled Year

12 Tips for a Healthy New Year

Remember these are ultimate goals. Spend 2012 moving in the right direction. It isn’t as much about arriving as it is improving.

Plus, check with your doctor before changing your exercise routine.

If you have special dietary considerations or trouble sticking to a healthy meal plan, you might want to make an appointment with a nutritionist or a dietician.

Twelve Tips

1. Slowly and steadily, increase the frequency until you are exercising for thirty minutes six times per week.

2. Walk, run, march, dance…Get your heart rate up for thirty minutes six times per week.

3. Include resistance training – weight bearing exercises – three to four times per week.

4. If you find it difficult to stay motivated, find a workout buddy with similar goals who will encourage you to stay on track.

5.  Stay hydrated. Most of us need to drink more water. I know I do. (Don’t forget caffeinated and alcoholic beverages do not count. Sugary and carbonated drinks aren’t great either.)

6. Prepare your meal plans in advance. Plus, prep as many of the ingredients as you can beforehand. When you come home at the end of a long day, you’ll be more likely to put together a healthy meal if it doesn’t mean spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

7. When eating out, go for the salad with dressing on the side, a baked potatoes with only a little butter or sour cream,  or veggies instead of fries.

8. Choose healthier dessert options (i.e. angel food cake, fresh fruit, low fat yogurt, etc).

9. When going out for dessert and coffee, share that piece of cheesecake and have non-caffeinated herbal tea instead of a calorie rich latte or macchiato, my personal favourite.

10. Limit – or eliminate – processed foods.

11. Eat a balanced diet.

12. Seek to live a balanced life. Don’t get obsessive about exercise and healthy eating. They are simply means to an end: a healthy life.

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year

My HH Resolutions

Even horrible housekeepers make resolutions. Some may even have to do with housekeeping.

Here are mine:

1. Continue to declutter my house. Toss the garbage. Sell what I can. Donate what I can’t. (Hey, when I’m done it will be harder to tell I’m a horrible housekeeper.)

2. Spend more time planning and preparing meals. (Trust me, “more time” will be easy. “As much as I should,” on the other hand…)

3. Possibly paint the main floor. What a difference that would make! (And by “paint,” I actually mean “have my hubby paint.”)

4. Try to keep the main floor presentable. (That’s horrible housekeeper presentable, not Martha Stewart presentable.)

5. Get rid of the wall unit in the upstairs hall. Yep, you heard me right. I’m thinking the linen closet – that I can’t currently get to – is a better storage space.

6. Schedule more time for domestic pursuits. (Again, “more time”…very easy.)

All the Best for a Lighthearted, Laughter-Filled, Joy-filled New Year

A New Look at Resolutions

Relationship is the overarching theme of my life. Though one person is no more important than the next, time constraints do not allow me to spend as much time as I would like interacting with any of those listed.

My relationships with…

God through Jesus Christ

My husband

Our three grown kids

Extended family

Spiritual brothers and sisters

Friends (I use a broad definition.)

Writing and Editing Clients (many of whom are spiritual brothers and sisters and friends)

Doula Clients (I’m currently completing the requirements for certification and hope to take on more clients early in the year.)

My readers (Again, many of you are spiritual brothers and sisters and/or friends.)

My Write! On fellow team members

My Write! Canada connections

My online connections

Practical Application

Okay, so that about covers it. But what does this look like practically?

I repeatedly determine to read the Bible and pray each morning, but again and again, I allow other things to crowd this out. Yes, I am mindful of God’s presence throughout the day, but that doesn’t mean I should neglect my communion with Him.

Just what do I do for my hubby and kids? I’m not the best housekeeper. (Please see my lighthearted posts under Confessions of a Horrible Housekeeper.) I can cook, but don’t particularly enjoy doing so. I do try to set everything aside when my kids want to talk – even about nothing in particular. And I try to spend time with my hubby every evening instead of watching TV from my chair at the computer. I also try to help him with his responsibilities when possible.

As with most people, time is the big issue when it comes to reaching out to extended family. The best I can do here is be more deliberate. My sister and I said our Christmas gift to each other would be to spend more time together in 2012. We only live a couple of hours away from one another. This should be doable.

What with Internet and all, I should be able to stay in touch with almost all my family members. I just have to be more deliberate about it. And then there’s my mother-in-law. I’ve often planned to visit and write to her monthly. Twenty-twelve is a good year to make it a reality.

To Sum Up

There are direct and indirect ways my daily endeavours nurture my relationships. However, I have to be more discerning about how I spend my time. This morning I realized the one resolution I most desperately want to keep is to more faithfully share my faith. If I seek to do so in every situation – organically, without being preachy – it will go a long way to building my relationships.

As I’ve written this post, I also realize, although I will never be Suzy Homemaker, I do need to seek more opportunities to bless my family – immediate and extended.

So, how about you? What is your #1 Resolution for 2012? What will you do to see it accomplished?

To Be Perfectly Honest

Openness, honesty, and transparency are three traits I value highly. But just what does honesty really mean?

Is it always telling the truth – as the author sought to do for an entire year?

And then again, what does “telling the truth” really mean? Does it mean opening up oneself to others and answering their questions – whatever they may ask?

Does it mean going into great detail when a simple answer would suffice?

Does it mean not kidding around – difficult when humour is one’s line of work.

In “To Be Perfectly Honest,” the author journals about his day-to-day experiences – and the things he discovered about truth-telling and about himself.

At the risk of sounding cliche…I laughed. I cried. Really, I did.

I would recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike. The openness and honesty is sure to be appealing – and challenging.

A very good read.

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. Check them out here.

Expectation

Time to say hello

Reach forth with expectation

To the year ahead.

 

What a Great Community!

Marcy Kennedy was my first connection to A Round of Words. (You can visit Girls with Pens here or Marcy’s personal site here.) I signed on for Round 3 last year, and because of all the great support I received from fellow ROWers, I became a sponsor for Round 4. Now it seems Kait and the team are stuck with me. I love it here.

Unlike many writers, I’m an extrovert. (That’s probably why I spend so much time on the social networks, much of which I should probably spend writing.) A Round of Words recognizes that life sometimes gets in the way of the writing we want to do. On the other hand, if we need a kick in the behind to get going or encouragement to keep going, we can find it in the ROW community.

Writing and its related endeavours – the dreaded edit, for example – are a big part of our lives, or we wouldn’t have joined this group. However, I love that we can share our non-writing goals. Before I became a sponsor, I was thrilled to read that others had included “encourage other ROWers” as one of their goals. As a personal trainer, I was also surprised and please to read that some listed fitness goals. I know exercising regularly, eating well, and getting enough sleep affect every area of our lives. It was good to know that I would be held accountable if I put my personal goals out there because, even as a trainer, I don’t always practice what I preach.

And then there were those who added reading goals. I was especially encouraged by those who listed “skills development reading.” That made me want to do the same. I have an extensive list of books, magazines, and writing related blogs I want to read. And the list grows longer almost every day.

I’m eclectically interested. (Some would say scattered.) The idea of adding these non-writing and writing related goals was right up my alley, that and the fact that we as ROWers are free to change our goals as necessary. Freedom and accountability…what a great combination!

Some of you are the classic introvert and may be reluctant to check in on Sundays and Wednesdays. I would, however, encourage you to do so. These check-ins can be brief, wordy, or simply part of another post. Barring that – or in addition to – you can post a line or two on the ROW80 Facebook page. And if you like to tweet, there’s always something going on at #ROW80. If two check-ins per week doesn’t work for you, I’d suggest at least one. You might be surprised at what a great community it really is.

Round 1 begin on January 2, so sign up here today.