Action

#13 Action. When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?


Ohhh lucky thirteen. It’s like those sneaky ladies at reverb10 had this ace up their sleeve the whole time. We’ve been lulled into twelve days of reflection and now… suddenly… we have to think about talk about action. < Whines > I’m not ready.
But honestly, am I ever gonna be ready? So I’m not procrastinating this prompt. My beautiful roommate and I were discussing it earlier and we agreed that action needs a goal in mind. It’s like backwards mapping. Pick the goal and then take some tiny steps backwards until I get to where I am now. Easy Tricky Virtually Impossible (as I see it).
The complicated part is that I want some really big things.

I'm committed on laying some huge professional groundwork in 2011.

I'm committed to conquering my checkbook/ savings account.

I'm committed to dropping fifteen pounds and in the meantime- loving my body the way it is.

I'm committed to meeting the man of my dreams starting a serious, long-term with the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. (No sense in just meeting him, right?!)

Extrapolate from there what baby steps might look like… I’ll wait…

RIGHT?! Who knows?
I know for sure what I’m *not* going to do…
I’m not going to doubt my skills in the classroom. And I’m not going to stop working to improve.
I’m not going to ignore my budget and assume it’ll be fine. And I’m not going to stop enjoying my dinners out and my wine.
I’m not going to stop enjoying my dinners out and my wine. And I’m not giving up yoga all together in favor of a higher intensity workout.
I’m not going to give up. And I’m not going on dating websites… because I just don’t want to meet someone that way. .
So… off the cuff (sort of)… here’s what action I'm taking this year.

I’m going to talk to my mentor about what I can do to get on the mentor track myself. And I’m going to find an educator’s conference to attend. And I’m going to take 8 more hours of continuing ed credits so I can move laterally on the pay schedule.

I’m going to take the advice of some smart friends and find an app that will help me track my spending. And I’m going to sit down with my best friend’s mom and work out a budget that will fit my needs (ie dinners out and good wine). And I’m going to buy better wine… and less of it. And enjoy it more.

I’m going to go to Bar Method three times a week. And I’m going to go to yoga- at least once a week. And I’m going to do more yoga with my kindergarteners at school. And I’m going to look in the mirror- naked- (yes, I said it) once a day and tell myself I’m perfect just the way I am. And I’m going to look myself in the eye and affirm all the things about myself that I continue to doubt.

I’m going to keep being open. And I’m going to smile more and make eye contact with strangers- instead of being shy… or scary. And I’m going to keep doing things that I love. And I’m going to trust that soon- over an apple at Ideal Market, or yoga mats at CorePower or drinks at Ignite Boulder- I’m going to meet this man. And I’m going to trust that he will be as excited to meet me, as I am to meet him.

So, I guess I have my work cut out for me.
Can I start now?