Sunday, May 1, 2016

April Review and May Balanced Life and Monthly Goals

First, a review of April's goals and how I did:

Spiritual:
-  Focus on prayers and meditations; on gratitude and being thankful; appreciate the blessings:  There were lots of prayers and I tried to focus on gratitude, being thankful, appreciating the blessings and all the positive things.  Occasionally, however, a bit of negativity crept in, and that's something I need to work on in May.   

Environment:
- Maintain for the most part; do a little decluttering and organizing:  I maintained, did a tiny bit of decluttering, but not much organizing.  It's OK, though; I need to be patient with myself and remember that I am not in the best of health, right now.
 
Daughter: 
- Enjoy her company as she continues to come down each weekend to accompany me to chemo sessions.  I told her it was not necessary, as I seem to be doing so much better with the new chemo, but she explained that it was necessary to her, for her own peace of mind.  So, I will sit back and enjoy being cossetted:  Daughter couldn't visit for 2 weekends because she got sick, but she is better now, did her thesis presentation, and came down for this weekend.

Family:
- Most contacts will be on the phone or on-line, again.  Expecting an in-person visit from a cousin on holiday from Australia:  I had a visit from the cousin from Australia, plus a couple of other visits from two other cousins and an aunt.  There were lots of phone calls and on-line contact, as well.  On the whole, it was a good month for family.      
   
Friends:
-  Contacts will be mostly on the phone and on-line, which will be OK:  I found myself asking for more help from friends.  I also had a much rescheduled visit from a friend, so it was a good month for friends, as well.     
 
Career:
-  Will continue to work from home:  I am continuing to complete my weekly assignments in a timely manner.

Finances:
- I will continue to budget and manage my finances:  Doing OK in this area. 

Health:
- Once again, the main focus will be on health.  I've started the 2nd part of the chemo treatment and so far, the side effects have been manageable.  Need to focus on more regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, eating more veggies, etc.:  Chemo treatments have been going quite smoothly, all things considered; the physical side effects (insomnia, nausea, indigestion, fatigue, bone aches and joint pains, etc.) have been manageable and I haven't had to experience some of the more severe physical side effects that others have experienced on this same treatment.  I am very grateful for that blessing.  However, I have started to experience some emotional ups and downs, which are also part of the side effects.   I wasn't quite expecting that.

Time Management:
- Need to procrastinate less.  However, as long as the important things, like work assignments, bills being paid, etc., are being done on time, I will not worry too much:  The important things got done; that is enough for now.

 Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time: 
- Continue knitting the new blouse I started, yesterday; continue to sew the quilts; do more gardening: I have continued with the knitting and the gardening; not as much sewing.

Now, moving forward with May goals for a well balanced life:

 Spiritual:
-  Focus even more on prayers and meditations; on gratitude and being thankful; on appreciating the blessings; on the positives.  Let go of the negatives.    

Environment:
- Maintain for the most part; do a little decluttering and organizing, but be kind to myself and make allowances for the fact that I am not feeling 100%.
 
Daughter: 
- Celebrate her achievements as she graduates with her Master's Degree in Public Health this month!  Enjoy her company as she comes home for 3 weeks in May, between her finals at the end of next week and starting her job on June 1.  I have received the OK from my doctors to travel up north to attend her graduation - we plan to drive there and back. 

Family:
- Most contacts will be on the phone or on-line, again, and I need to accept and be OK with that.  However, the month is off to a good start because two cousins dropped in for a quick visit this morning (one brought me a plate of food and the other brought me an adult coloring book!) and  another cousin and aunt have said they'll visit this evening!
    
Friends:
-  Contacts will be mostly on the phone and on-line, which will be OK.   
 
Career:
-  Will continue to work from home.

Finances:
- I will continue to budget and manage my finances. 

Health:
- Once again, the main focus will be on health.  I've 5 more chemo treatments to go!  Plus, I've an appointment with the podiatrist, this week. 

Time Management:
- As long as the important things, like work assignments, bills being paid, etc., are being done on time, I will not fret too much about managing my time.

 Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time: 
- Continue to knit and sew; start coloring!

I am looking forward to a well balanced life in May!

8 comments:

  1. I bet you and daughter are both proud and excited for graduating. That's awesome! And how great to have her home for 3 straight weeks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we are indeed proud and excited about her graduating (provided she passed the thesis presentation!) And it will be lovely to have her home for longer than a few days. I'm afraid I'll get used to her being here and then miss her like crazy when she goes back! After all, once she starts her job, she won't be able to come home as often.

      Delete
  2. Bless, once you're done with your chemo, maybe you can go visit her for a change, no? But I hear you, it's going to be hard for you without her visits to look forward to. I'm already dreading when mine goes to full-time college in a year. I miss my sons too, and I will be devastated when my youngest finally leaves the nest, but a daughter... there's a closer connection, I think.

    I like that you are keeping your goals manageable and recognizing that you need to take it easy with the physical tasks. You're going to color! Have you already picked a book?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, once I finish with the treatments, I'll be able to visit her as well, the way I used to before.

      One of my cousins gave me a coloring book! I already started! :D

      Delete
  3. Love how you've been consistently doing your balanced life goals for many years. You've done so well at staying focused on them, Bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Carolyn. I find it very helpful to do so. :)

      Delete
  4. I enjoyed reading your goals and I'm sure seeing written down how much you have achieved regardless of not being 100% healthy is great inspiration to you.

    I totally understand where your daughter is coming from with her need to come home and see you. It must take a lot of pressure off both of you to know that if she can't make it for whatever reason you are able to manage and you have family and friends to call on.

    You sound extremely positive to me Bless, so I wouldn't worry about a little negativity creeping in. We all have doubts, question ourselves and sometimes just feel down and fed up. The main thing is being able to pick yourself up and not let it take hold. It's good to keep going and motivated but you are going through some gruelling treatment so I agree wholeheartedly about being kind to yourself. Hope the week ahead is a good one for you. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Suzanne. I do try to be positive and not feel sorry for myself, but, I guess I am just as human as the next person, and occasionally, there's a bit of "poor me" that creeps in! But, this is all temporary and I will get through it. I have much to look forward to. :)

      Delete

Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. Your comments are much appreciated. Please comment in English. Thank you.