#52Stories - Weeks 1 and 2

I was recently inspired by this post to document the things that are important to me this year. Each Sunday this year, my goal is to post the week's question and share as much of my answer as I can. I'm really excited about this! Our first grandchild is arriving this spring, and I want to document my history for the Little Man joining our family and others who will come in the future. 

Because I procrastinated last week, I'm going to post two questions today. Join my VIP Facebook Group to share your memories, too, and for ideas about how to preserve these memories. 

SO. MANY. GOALS. 

1. Improve my health - I have struggled with fibromyalgia since I was 16 years old. That's a lot of years of pain and inflammation, and it has caught up with me. Exercise is a challenge with FMS, and I'm paying with a lot of excess weight. My focus this year is to identify the triggers for inflammation and eliminate or minimize them. I'm starting with my diet and am going back to a mainly Paleo diet, which has worked well in the past. I'm also gradually adding in low-impact exercise, trying to pace myself. I want to be a healthy, active Nana for Little Man - he's going to require a lot of energy! 

2. Complete another insurance designation - I work in the insurance industry, and industry education is highly valued where I work. I've completed one major insurance designation; now I'm working on another one. I've passed five exams with three to go. Right now, I'm feeling a lot of "test fatigue," but the reward (besides what I'm learning) is a trip to the Bahamas in November to attend the conferment ceremony! 

3. SIMPLIFY - Along with so many goals, I have SO. MUCH. STUFF. Craft stuff, kitchen stuff, books, clothes, jewelry - so much. I recently read Marie Kondo's book on decluttering. While I'm not going overboard with her method, I'm definitely rethinking how I view my stuff. I've known for a long time that having too much can be an impediment to being organized. I've pared down my clothes; my goal for this year is to work on the craft room. I've held on to so many items because I "might" use it someday, and someday almost never comes. With Amazon, Close To My Heart, Michael's, and Hobby Lobby readily available, if I get rid of something I eventually need, I'm pretty sure I can get it or something close. Sounds like another blog post series, doesn't it? 

4. Devote more time to my CTMH business - The last few years have been exceptionally busy, and I haven't been able to spend as much time focusing on CTMH as I'd like. This year, my goal is to post at least weekly on my blog and to post several times a week on my VIP Facebook group. (Be sure to join so you can be part of the fun!) I've also set a goal to make something creative at least two times each month and to post it here and on Facebook. 

5. Send cards - For someone who loves to make cards, I'm terrible at sending them. My goal this year is to prepare cards for mailing on the first of each month for those who have birthdays or other special occasions. 

6. Say "yes" - As much as possible, I want to say "yes" to being with friends and family and to be present when I'm with them. 

When I went to work at a major insurance company 11 years ago, I didn't know anything about using MS Office. I was still using Works. (I know.) I taught myself to use Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access, although I did take two online courses to learn Access. Now I like to say that I think in Excel - I love me some spreadsheets! 

Now it's your turn! Write down your answers to these two questions. See you next week!