The Game Plan

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” -Karen Lamb

In order to be a better me, I need to create a new game plan. After all the one I've been using currently hasn't been all that helpful when it comes to my person growth or happiness. This journey is meant to be life changing, and for me that isn't just about exercising to lose that extra 20 lbs (thought that too would be nice) but I want more.

I'm prepared for this to be hard, I'm ready to take on the challenge every day so that in the end I can be the me I want to be, the one I'm sure lies just below this one. In order to accomplish my goal I have divided my happiness into a few crucial areas that I feel need to be addressed in my own life.

Family

No matter what happens my family has always been there for me, and whether they would say I'm a good family member or not I feel as though even at good I should strive to be better. No one feels my wrath more than my very loving and supportive husband. He is my best friend and quite frankly puts up with me when no one in their right mind would or should. He is my soul mate my second half, without him my life would be very dark indeed.

Family Check List

• Be a better daughter.
• Be a better sister.
• Don't let my mother be the go-between for me and my siblings. Take the initiative to keep contact.
• Be a better wife.
• Don't hold back my love in anger.
• Don't hide emotions to try and spare feelings.
• Communicate my desires.

Heath & Wellness

In order to have a healthy and happy mindset I need to improve the health of my body as well. This means eating right, exercising daily and taking the necessary vitamins my body may be lacking. I do have a couple things on my side, I don't smoke, I don't drink and I don't do any other "recreational" drugs. (Yes, I've lead a boring existence!) But I do need to look at the facts. As it stands right now I am over weight, which can host a huge amount of health problems. I'm also a cancer survivor, which is great but it now means I stand a 50% greater chance of developing other kinds of cancer. I've been there, I've done that and thanks to a great medical team and my own personal super hero (my brother Matthew) I beat it. I don't want to go down that road again, and although having a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee of anything it definitely helps my chances. So, I will need to go to the dreaded doctor, I need to see where my body is at so I can start repairing the damage I have done.

Heath & Wellness Check List

• Eat healthy.
• Exercise Daily.
• Start a vitamin routine.
• See doctor for physical.

Spirituality

I'm not a Christian *gasp* I know, I know, many of you may think with that statement I have bought myself a one way ticket to hell. But being Christian didn't make me feel full filled or happy, it made me feel like a liar. I've seen so many people go to church on Sunday and then cheat on their wives on Monday or drink and become violent on Tuesday. So many preach of being Christian but don't practice it. I wasn't happy with Christianity so back when I was only thirteen I changed that. It's hard to believe that thirteen year old me had more bravery when it came to change than twenty-seven year old me. To be honest though, now I'm not sure what I am. I believe in something, I just don't know what.
Either way my spiritual journey in this context is going to have a lot less to do with God and lot more to do with discovering myself. I am on a journey of self discovery because no matter what happens in this next year I need to start believing in myself above all else.

Spiritual Check List

• Meditate.
• Keep a Journal.
• Figure out my purpose in life.
• Acknowledge the good in life.
• Volunteer.

Knowledge

Because knowledge is power! And because I never want to stop learning. When I was in university there was a student there as well who was well into her fifties. When I asked her why she was in the class she said she took a new class every year. She just picked something she enjoyed and did it. Of course she also had the money to do so which always makes things easier.
Still, I don't need a classroom to learn new things. I have an interest in lots of different things and thanks to the modern age the internet is my learning tool. I can find anything I ever wanted to know with just a click of the button. It's about time I start to utilize that!

Knowledge Check List

• Read at least one book a week.
• Learn something new at least once a month.
• Write down my interests to share that knowledge with others.
• Teach something!

Goals

Life isn't much without goals. I have so many I don't really know where to start but I figure writing them down here is a great way to make them a firm something. By giving myself small goals and working up to larger ones I'm hoping it will set myself up for success. I'm a firm believer that our history predicts our future. Yesterday I started one of my goals with this blog. I wrote out an article and published it. Today I have continued the trend. Tomorrow I will try and stick with it again. Should I miss a step in these goals I will not count them as failures, I will simply create a new past in order to predict a better future.

Goals Check List

• Blog daily. This is pretty much my journal after all.
• While helping my own life, connect to others and help them as well.
• Start an online business. What? I don't know. How? I'll need to figure that out. But I want to be financially free.
• Write a novel. Or three, or ten, I have many in the works and have always loved writing. I just need to finish these things.
• Make a friend. I'm such an isolated person I really don't spend time with people other than co-workers. It would be nice to have someone to talk to who isn't a white screen.

As it is this is all I can think of right now. I'm sure this list will change, and grow, in fact I hope it does. But for now I have a set plan in mind. I'm already breaking it down into plan's of how I can achieve those goals as well.

Right now I feel as though there is a light at the end of that tunnel. I don't feel so overwhelmed with life and it's only day two of my change. I'll take that as a good sign!

How have you changed your life for the better? What do you think of my list? Anything you think I may have over looked or need to add? I'm all for ideas and suggestions on how to grow so give them to me!

As always, thank you for reading and may your lives be filled with much love and happiness.