Wrapping Up the Year

It's true -- life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. That's how I feel life has been lately.

I cannot believe 2011 is almost over. I've been busy. I want to do so much, and I don't do half of what I want to do. I truly believe the TV is stealing so much of my time. And since I'm closing in on the last 20 or 30 years, I can't waste a minute.

Katy Weber sends a Red Lotus Letter regularly, and the one I received this week included an attachment that is "My 2012 Goals -- Personal New Year Planner." The first thing the planner asks for is My Top 10 Accomplishments in 2011. That stumped me at first. I've come up with 9. Some are pretty weak.

1. Made the decision to earn DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster).
2. Became an Area Governor, a requirement to earn DTM.
3. Started the High-Performance Leadership Project to earn DTM.
4. Continued to lead the web skills team.
5. Signed up for and started the Jim Rohn One-Year Personal Development Plan.
6. Started writing letters to family and friends.
7. Set up regular time to visit with my Grandson.
8. Went on a cruise, and I paid cash for it. It didn't follow me home.
9. Joined a gym.
10. Found out I was allergic to several foods and have adjusted my eating to avoid those allergens.

Gosh, look at that! I have 10!

The next thing is the Goals for 2012

My goal this year is to

1. Actually work the Jim Rohn PDP.
2. Continue to build relationships with my daughter and her family. To visit with my dad at least once a month. To continue writing letters and sending cards to family and friends regularly.

As a result, I think, act, feel, and work as if I'm thin and healthy, I'm growing as a leader because of Toastmasters and John Rohn.

My no. 1 goal in 2012 is to Complete the Jim Rohn PDP.

My Top 5 Goals for the Year are:

1. Continue to build my leadership skills
2. Continue to build my relationships
3. Save enough money to be able to pay for car repairs without having to get a loan
4. Save enough money to be able to pay for the once a year expenses like HOA, AAA
5. Tithe

As a result of this, I would like to earn/accomplish
Distinguished Toasmaster and have enough money to cruise from Puerto Rico to the Southern Caribbean to celebrate.

But I would be happy with Finishing the Jim Rohn PDP.

Still Plodding Along . . .

Even though I haven't blogged in a few days, I'm still plodding along. I've been busy with going to the gym and trying to make ends meet. As usual, I have more month at the end of my money. I've had some unexpected, unusual expenses, and we have just enough to get to payday. I have 4 boxes of Avon products that I've accumulated over the 3-1/2 year as an Avon rep, so I decided to wrap them and try to sell them as gifts that people could buy to give.

My son and I spent the whole day Sunday gathering wrap, tissue, gift bags, the Avon products, and the prices of the products. Then as I prepared the gifts, I took photos of the product and the bag I put it in and added the prices. Then I made flyers with the product photos listed like a catalog. Monday I sent an email to everyone at work who is a customer. Then today I sent one to all the men in my department. Monday one of my customers wanted to buy a pair of earrings, and today a coworker wants to buy a pair of sunglasses. That makes $18! And a customer still owes for her order. That's $11.61! So, with these sales, I'll even have enough for gas!

I'm trying to figure out what to do with my car. I've had a Jaguar X-Type since April 5, 2006. It's a 2004, and I LOVE it! Jaguar has been my dream car since I was 12, and I finally was able to get one. The odometer will hit 91,000 miles this week. Then the extended warranty will expire, and I'm afraid I won't be able to afford the next repair that comes along. It may be that I can drive it another year without anything going wrong. But, can I take that chance? I'm considering trading it in on something that's domestic and cheaper to repair. Then, in 3 years when I've paid off the jumbo loan I have, I can reconsider buying another Jaguar or something else.

My son found a 2006 Impala with 125,000 miles for less than $6K that I'm considering. I may put my car up for sale and see if I can get $7K for it. Then I can buy something else. I just don't want to have to make another payment. Actually, I can't afford to make another payment.

I figure when I pay off this loan, I can put these payments toward my mortgage, and by 2021, my house will be paid off. I can then retire and live a life of leisure. One thing I want to do once I retire is hang out at the gym and take the classes like Zumba, Waterworks, maybe the spin class, and enjoy life.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone at Church

You'd think that after being in Toastmasters for 20 years, I would be able to do anything in front of an audience. But no.

I haven't volunteered to be a Lay Eucharist Minister at my church because I don't want to have to read the readings or Prayers to the People. I go to the Wednesday night service at church, and I mentioned to our pastor this past Wednesday that I might read the lesson, and he said "Go for it!" So I did! I read Deuteronomy. It was a short reading, but I might ask if I can do it again next Wednesday.

There will be a training session for several of the ministries, and I'll train to be a LEM so I can help with the Eucharist during weddings. I don't plan to do the Sunday Services, but maybe Wednesday. I love the Wednesday service. It's very small and short.

Figured It Out!

Have you ever had a great idea and shared it with someone, like your boss, only to hear crickets? Then about a week later your boss comes to you with a great idea, which was yours originally. It's not a good idea until it's their.

Well, the same sort of thing has happened to me again. Only, it was I doing it to me.

For 2 years (almost exactly), I've been trying to do my own thing in Weight Watchers. I followed the plan at first and lost 24 lbs! Then, I got tired of doing it their way and tried to do it my way. Well, 2 years and a gain of 12 lbs later, I finally figured it out.

Weight Watchers knows what they're talking about! At the meeting Thursday, I realized the error of my ways, and I resolved to follow the plan, at least for a month by tracking and trying to eat the right foods. Then yesterday, I had another breakthrough. I realized the reason I had such a hard time tracking was that I wasn't weighing and measuring. Geez. It's work, but maybe I'll eat less because I'm taking my time instead of grabbing and gobbling.