Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Yes, Lucy was in my senior pictures with me!
Also, super cool overalls, right? 

Eighteen years ago, I graduated from high school. EIGHTEEN! When I think about that fact, it's mind-blowing to me... maybe because I still act feel like I'm eighteen most of the time! It feels like I'm staying the same age, but months and years are flying by! Often, I'll play this little game with myself. I t goes like this:

Five years ago... 

• I was 31. 
• We didn't have June, and Driller was just a puppy.
• Izzy was five. 
• We were living in our old house.
• We didn't know that Greg would soon be working in Louisiana full time, living in an RV.
• I had just finished my fourth year of teaching.
• I had never run in a half marathon.
• My niece Abby was almost two, and Henry was just a baby.

I just name all of the things that were current in our lives at the time. It is craaaaaaazy for me to reflect like this. Then, I fast forward to today and think about all that has happened in the last five years. WOW!

Since that time...

• I have completed five half marathons.
• We moved into a new house. 
• I recently finished my ninth year of teaching.
• I started a new job as an Instructional Coach last year.
• I completed my master's degree in Educational Leadership. 
• Greg has had about five different cars!
• We adopted June.
• I can't even express how much Izzy has grown!

Next, I think about five years in the future. This one really makes me crazy!

In five years...

• I will be 41.
• Greg will be 42.
• Izzy will be 15 and going into 10th grade. OMG! I can't handle that statement!
• Driller will be ten.
• June will be nine.
• Abby will be 11, and Henry will be ten!

Of course, the numbers are easy to calculate, but there will always be blank bullet points... the things that will happen over the course of the next five years that are uncertain to me at this time. The time will pass; whether I do something productive with the time is up to me. Goal setting has always been important to me, and I've always felt like that goal had to be an event. For example, last year, I set a goal to run a half marathon. I felt so defeated in January when I was unable to run it. I had trained and worked so hard to run that race, and in the blink of an eye, everything changed. An unexpected and very random health issue left me on the sidelines that day. I felt like I didn't achieve my goal; however, I was in great physical shape and that helped me get through that time. 

Goals don't always have to be an end result to a journey. The journey itself can be a goal. This blog, for instance, is a goal for me. One of my goals is to write weekly, so here I am! Another goal is to read more and be on my phone less. I started doing this about a year ago when I noticed that I was wasting so much time on social media. I often complained that I didn't have enough time to read. I realized that if it was important to me, then I would find the time to make it happen. I had the time; I was just using it for something else. What I am really trying to say here is that my ideas about goals have shifted. I think it's great to have a big goal. It's also important to have goals that impact your every day. Instead of writing a goal to run a half marathon, my new goal is to be in great physical shape. It's crucial to wake up and think, what can I do today to help achieve my goals? Some people write their goals every day or post them somewhere that's very visible; others use vision boards. I've never really gone this far with my goals, but I love these ideas!

Izzy racing in her 5th Read, Deed & Run Marathon Final Run

Izzy Hodges is the queen of goals! Her goals are different than the goals I had always imagined for my child. She has goals for speech therapy, goals for her IEP, and some pretty cool goals for Read, Deed, and Run! Most of Izzy's goals are based on her needs; this isn't unlike the goals I set for myself. What I love about Izzy's goals is that they are in writing, and we get to see her marked progress on a regular basis. Izzy doesn't always achieve a goal. Sometimes her goals are ongoing, and they are always evolving. Her journey is definitely a marathon, not a sprint, and we are learning to love the journey. While we don't know what the future holds for Izz, we know that she is going to work hard and achieve greatness!

For Greg's goals... well, I usually set them for him! Ha ha! For instance, I just told him that we're doing a Whole 30 in August. Not a Whole 16 or 17, like we've done in the past... a full Whole 30. I'm the one who buys the food, so he has to comply! LOL! About three years ago, I got him to start coming to Body Pump with me at the YMCA. He's one of the only guys there, but through that work he's really noticed some changes in his body and strength. And I'm constantly asking Greg what's on his bucket list. It drives him nuts! Deep down, though, I know that he thinks about it! Greg has an incredible drive and wants to get out there and do incredible things. Really, he already has. He inspires me each and every day to be the best version of myself and works so hard to give Izzy unforgettable opportunities.

Another person who is inspiring me right now is Rachel Hollis. I am OBSESSED with her at the moment. Thank you, Ashlee, for recommending her book to me! I am now following her religiously on Instagram and listening to her podcast. She is so down-to-earth, and the advice she gives is just down right practical. It's nothing mind-shattering or that I haven't heard before, yet it's refreshing and empowering. She reminds me to hold true to myself and my goals. Here are a few quotes from the podcast I listened to yesterday:

Be mindful of the season you are in. 

Done is better than perfect. 

That second one is super tough for me. I will obsess over the perfect font or spacing or picture for a project. Why do I always strive for perfection? Of course, I always want to give my best, yet perfection isn't necessary or even achievable! I'm learning that it's ok to take a step back. It's ok to complete a project and be done with it, even though it's not perfect. I'm learning to choose the things I will obsess over... and, with that, I'm choosing how I spend my time. A few years ago, I was turning into a workaholic. I just wanted to get it all done, and, for those of you with teachers in your lives, you know that's impossible! So I implemented a rule for myself; I will only work for one hour beyond my contract time each day. That meant if I got to work 30 minutes early, then I would only stay 30 minutes after 3:55 pm (my contract end time). Or if I left right at 3:55 pm, I would only work for 30 more minutes at home. It was very hard for me to stick to this; however, it helped me to monitor how much time I was spending working. This also helped me to realize that I can't obsess over little things that don't really matter when I'm giving myself a time limit!

It is my hope that I will look back on this post in five years and reflect. What did I accomplish in those five years? Am I a better person? How has Izzy continued to progress? Just like I look at her videos from five years ago, I know I will look back at videos from this time in our lives and see big changes. I think I'll take some advice from those who work with Izzy and write down my goals and monitor my progress throughout the journey instead of focusing on the end goal.

Now who wants to place a bet on how many different vehicles Greg will own over the next five years? Think he'll keep the Jeep for the next five years? Yeah, whatever!