Me Thinks

Last January I set some specific numeric goals for myself in a variety of areas.

I wanted to index 100 names, and I exceeded that number. I like indexing and plan to continuing doing it at least once a month. I was affected by the process of recording individual names of people born years ago, and I came to value in a deeper way the lives of others, along with my own.

I set out to run 100 miles which I fell short of. I ran 51.9 miles, but it turns out running (especially running a lot of miles ambitiously in January and February) hurts my feet. More importantly, I exercised consistently throughout the year, averaging 5.6 times a week.

I wanted to read 20 books which was easy to do because I love to read. 

I completed 10 "projects" by June. Projects ranged from organizing and printing out my son's missionary emails (for a surprise gift), to thoroughly cleaning a room. Though I am satisfied with the projects that have been completed in the last year, there are many more to accomplish in the year to come.

I wanted to spend 40 hours cleaning out my files and I only spent 21 hours.  Sometimes there are more pressing things in life that I must attend to, but file cleaning/purging is on my list again this year.

I planned to complete 50 temple ordinances this year, and by June I had completed 50, but I continued along! I love being in the temple and this was a privilege and blessing for me.  I went with one sweet friend every single month to do initiatory work and the consistency blessed my life.  

Trying 15 new recipes was a pleasure, and some turned out better than others. We ended up loving the new clam dip recipe, along with the fresh green bean salad, hot ham and cheese party rolls, slow-cooker chicken squash curry, Sue Brook's tortellini, and Angela's apple-cake pudding, among others.  A few recipes that didn't turn out as well as expected were the orange creamsicle pie, banana-peanut butter ice cream, and blt pasta. I have a file bursting with other recipes to try out.

I wanted to finish the Book of Mormon and I did.  Reading from the Book of Mormon every day has a stabilizing and nourishing influence on me.

I read the Ensign magazine every month, including the General Conference issues.  This is not on my "have-to" list, but is a "want-to." I really enjoy the articles and the perspectives.

I spent 40 hours memorizing, did over 700 ab exercises, and lifted weights 156 times. OVer 250 magazines were purged and over 20 twenty sewing projects were completed.

Enough of numbers!  What did I become? How did I change? Did I grow and improve? Am I more sensitive to others? Do I listen to the Spirit more readily? Do I act on what I know and what I am prompted to do? Am I less selfish? Am I kinder?

I hope so.

What am I on earth to do--or more specifically, what I am on earth to do this year? I feel it is important for me to be a loving and supportive wife, a concerned and attentive but not overly-intrusive mother (of adult children), a supportive mother-in-law, a caring grandma, and a helpful daughter and daughter-in-law. These important roles cannot be quantified but are always on my mind.