Slice of Life – Reflecting on 2014

Slice of Life is sponsored on Tuesdays by Two Writing Teachers.

It’s that time of year again, time to look back and look ahead. 2014 was a good year. A year where we had some sadness, but also a whole lot to celebrate. I am more certain than ever that time speeds up as you get older, because 2014 seemed to fly! This just makes me all the more aware of the time passing and the desire to hold tight and appreciate it while I can.

I try not to make “resolutions” each year, mainly because as I near the end of my 40^th year, I know I don’t keep them. Instead, each year I pick my word, my one little word, and focus on that for the next year. It isn’t something I consciously do each day, but it pops up in my mind throughout the year. For 2012 and 2013 I had the word be. Just be. Last year the word was balance. Both words have helped me – to be more comfortable in my own skin, to search for balance when it was gone. I’ve thought a lot about what to pick for this year’s word.

Grace

There is a lot I would like to accomplish this year, a lot I would like to change, but it begins here, with grace.

If you would also like to select a word for your year, please join in! If you need inspiration, here’s a list of words that were selected in 2013 on Ali Edwards’ blog.

Word List

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Be sure to visit Mentor Texts  or Unleashing Readers to learn more about It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

I got a ton of reading done last week. That being said, I learned something about myself as a reader or, even, as a learner:

• I tend to do one thing, a lot, each week. Four weeks ago I worked on a possible book, the following week I blogged a lot, for the last two weeks I've tried to catch up on my reading. I've learned I need to find balance. This shouldn't be an all or nothing kind-of deal.
• I really, really, don't like the beginnings of books. I read really fast, but am impatient to figure out what is going on. Finding books that I can relax and enjoy the beginning are rare and beautiful. 
• I could spend my life happily in pajama pants, a t-shirt, and with a book. 

Seriously, here's what I read last week. Happily, I accomplished my goals from last week:

And with that, I reached 101 books for the summer. I'm not sure what I will be able to read this week. I start back to school on the 18th, the kids arrive on the 20th. (YAY!)  My goal is to slow down on the reading this week and find some balance. (Which was my one little word this year.) I hope to report back next Monday and be able to say that I read, blogged, wrote, exercised, and got ready for a new year. Here we go! 

One Little Word - 2014

I have a love/ hate relationship with resolutions. I love making them, hate the fact that I don’t seem to keep them. I’m looking at you, #nerdlution.

A few years ago, I think around 2011; I stumbled across the idea of picking a word for a resolution. One little word. I remember reading the blogger’s post about the word she picked. How it had just “came to her” and she knew it was supposed to be her word for that year. I clearly remember thinking she was crazy, how would a word just come to you? But I still liked the idea. I scanned the list, picked a word that worked for me for that year, and thought about it as the year passed. Resolution kept.

In 2012 and 2013 I had the same word – be. (My post from last year is HERE.) I picked it to remind myself just to be me. My thirties have been an awesome decade – I only have two months left in them – but they’ve also been marked by anxiety. It is crippling at times, but I’ve learned to cope. As silly as it sounds, the word be helps. It has been a good word.

A week or so ago I was kicking myself for falling off the #nerdlution bandwagon. Exercising daily, writing daily, it was just a mess. My husband chided me, pointing out that in much of my life I’m either all in, or all out. One word flashed in my brain – balance. I knew I needed more of it in my life.

I sat at my journal, absentmindedly doodling. I realized that I was looking at what balance was for me – taking care of my mind, body, spirit daily. That doesn’t mean I have to run for thirty minutes a day. Taking care of my body might be focusing on water instead of pop one day. Getting in some type of workout in. Eating more fruits and vegetables. Looking at my mind, I need to carve out time for what sustains me – reading and writing. I need to declutter so my mind isn’t stressed by piles and messes around our house. But also, I need to focus on my spirit. This can be prayer, meditation, or even time with my family.

My life is a bit out of balance. I’m online a lot. Some of that can’t be helped, some can. I need to regain the balance, and I’m hoping my word will serve as a reminder for me this year. My plan is just to put balance in the forefront of my mind and give myself a score each day – one point for each area that I did something positive in that day with a three being a perfect score. Simple, but that is what I need.

As for the classroom, I will be sharing this with my students and encouraging them to think of their own words if they feel moved to do so. I don’t think this would be beneficial activity to require of them, but something they need to own, if they would so choose. Reflection is good. It is through it that we grow. I’m already looking forward to 2014; I think it will be an excellent year. 

Resolutions for 2013

My necklace with my one little word for 2012 - BE

2013. I used to have resolutions every year – lose weight, work out every day, eat healthy, etc. Often those resolutions didn’t last even until my birthday (end of February). So last year I went with a reading resolution – read 300 books – and one little word as a resolution. Both resolutions were actually met.

My reading resolution was easier than I thought. When I made it, I was nervous. I had read 263 the year before and felt like I was reading an awful lot. This year as I finished my last book yesterday I looked at the number, 508. That’s awesome, but I realized something. That’s a really high number, for me. I have friends who read three times that this year. I have friends who read much less. All of them read a lot. We all chose to challenge ourselves in our own ways – and as adults we are allowed to do this. I like bringing that idea into the classroom as well. Let my students create their own challenges; this ensures they are more meaningful and more tailored to each person instead of a blanket goal for all.

As for my one little word, this is what I wrote last New Year’s Day about it:

Be

• Be the best wife, mom, teacher, and friend I can
• Be good to myself
• Be a role model for others
• Be a writer
• Be a thinker
• Be a reader
• Be true to myself

I think I did pretty well on this goal with the exception to the second bullet – Be good to myself. I absolutely made more time for myself this year – and I’m good about doing things I want to do and not putting myself last, but I am my own worst critic. My inner voice is not kind to me and I struggle a lot with that.

SO…. Goals for this year? My reading goal will be 600 books, but with a caveat. I realized I haven’t read some of the “classics” or, if I have read them I don’t think I understood them. So some of those 600 will be devoted to discovering those. First up, Pride and Prejudice. I still will try and make my way through the Newbery books as well.

My one little word is:

Be

My focus is:

• Be the best wife, mom, teacher, and friend I can
• Be good to myself
• Be a role model for others
• Be a writer
• Be a thinker
• Be a reader
• Be true to myself
•  Be serene (Serenity prayer becoming a mantra) J

I wish you all the best year ever. I look forward to all of the blessings of a new year and am grateful for all I was given in 2012. It was amazing.