As I sit here on this gorgeous Saturday avoiding the sun (details on that in a moment), it occurs to me that summer is quickly slipping through my fingers and I have only accomplished one of my big ticket items for the summer! To prioritize my time, I thought I'd make a list of the remaining things I'd like to accomplish.
I'll make my goal end-date Labor Day weekend, though I officially go back to work before then for professional development, coaching responsibilities, and other training. I think these goals are going to help me stay physically, mentally, financially, intellectually, and spiritually healthy this summer.
Why the sudden slide into being a total-self health nut? Well, the same reason I'm avoiding the sun. Last June, I went to the doctor for a little help losing weight - knowing it was important for my long term well-being. During a scan, they spotted some suspicious nodules in my thyroid that after a few months of biopsies and a surgery at Johns Hopkins turned out to be - incredibly small - cancer masses. I had the rest of my thyroid taken out at the end of June this year as a prophylactic measure to make sure the cancer could not recur and potentially spread.
After getting the all clear from the surgeon with tons of encouragement that it was really over, and it hadn't spread and really couldn't (since it is in a medical waste center somewhere, and not my neck); I am relieved. I am grateful for the prayers and love everyone has given me. I am so lucky that my doctor decided to be aggressive about such small spots instead of just letting it go for another year until I might get another scan. I feel blessed by God to have survived this with the help of my incredible husband and the few others I told. And I also feel like staying healthy. I am motivated to be as healthy as is reasonably possible for someone who truly hates running for the sake of running and loves cake.
I am happy - elated! - and blessed to be as healthy as I am today. If all I do this summer is maintain that, I'll have done my job.
Love always, ~Heather
- Clean out the two spare room closets to get everything into one closet (with room to spare). Goodness knows I do not need probably more than a quarter of the items in there.
- Sell the random items that are actually still worth something at a garage sale or online to earn $1750. That's a random numeric goal, but I think it is fairly attainable.
- Finish putting pictures in all the frames on the stairwell.
- Clean out my bedroom closet so as to no longer have a wide assortment of clothing that doesn't fit or I don't wear clogging it up.
- Use the VHS to DVD converter to complete the transition to DVD home videos.
- Donate as much of the clothing, old VHS tapes, books, and sundries as possible.
- Complete the first of two blog-to-book projects.
- Spend five minutes each day with God alone.
- Actually learn physics in a respectable enough way that I know some level of higher physics than what I teach my 8th graders.
- Lose 20 pounds. I lost over 50 pounds between last June and last October, only gaining about ten back during surgery recovery in March, so feeling confident about this fitness goal.
- Be able to keep up with the girls on core workouts. I'm restricting myself to the core here, because last summer I truly had to face the fact that despite whatever brilliant plans I had, I am almost or literally double some of their ages. They can keep sprinting faster than me; it's respectable that I finish at all.
- Read two books a week; including some nonfiction.
- Sleep 8 hours a night or until I wake up naturally, whichever is more appropriate for the day's itinerary.
- Save up the gas and eating out money associated with my full-time job to pad the savings account to a respectable amount.
- Enjoy planned vacations with no guilt about the fact that some of these things aren't finished yet.
I'll make my goal end-date Labor Day weekend, though I officially go back to work before then for professional development, coaching responsibilities, and other training. I think these goals are going to help me stay physically, mentally, financially, intellectually, and spiritually healthy this summer.
Why the sudden slide into being a total-self health nut? Well, the same reason I'm avoiding the sun. Last June, I went to the doctor for a little help losing weight - knowing it was important for my long term well-being. During a scan, they spotted some suspicious nodules in my thyroid that after a few months of biopsies and a surgery at Johns Hopkins turned out to be - incredibly small - cancer masses. I had the rest of my thyroid taken out at the end of June this year as a prophylactic measure to make sure the cancer could not recur and potentially spread.
After getting the all clear from the surgeon with tons of encouragement that it was really over, and it hadn't spread and really couldn't (since it is in a medical waste center somewhere, and not my neck); I am relieved. I am grateful for the prayers and love everyone has given me. I am so lucky that my doctor decided to be aggressive about such small spots instead of just letting it go for another year until I might get another scan. I feel blessed by God to have survived this with the help of my incredible husband and the few others I told. And I also feel like staying healthy. I am motivated to be as healthy as is reasonably possible for someone who truly hates running for the sake of running and loves cake.
I am happy - elated! - and blessed to be as healthy as I am today. If all I do this summer is maintain that, I'll have done my job.
Love always, ~Heather
Comments