Hit Like a Ton of Bricks

Ugh.  Yesterday I went back to work after a 10-day vacation, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I don't mean to sound like a baby, but Waaaah! 

I had gotten used to sleeping until 8:00 AM, sipping my coffee until late morning, and having life run on a very relaxed schedule.  I stayed busy, mind you, but it was a busy that I wanted to do.  It was fun!

Now Mr. Babycakes has started his 4:00 AM work schedule for the month, I've gone back to work, and reality has set in.  Booo.

One of the things I did during my vacation was to set my goals for the coming year.  Let me tell you, that is really easy to do when you are, well, on vacation.  Anything seems possible.  Now that I'm back to my normal schedule and routine, my plans for reaching my goals are HARD.

That's okay.  My bad.  I just have to regroup.  Replan.  And take one day at a time.  This was, after all, just my first day back.  Things will get better once I get back into my routine. 

Right?

My List of Google Reader Items

I love Google Reader.  I started using it several years ago when my blog-reading started to blossom and I needed an easy way to keep track of all of the new posts.  Since then, I visit Google Reader almost every day.

I thought it would be fun to share the list of my favorite blogs.  Please keep in mind that this list changes semi-frequently as I find new blogs to read or discover that a blog I've been reading no longer holds my interest.

So here they are, in alphabetical order.  Please check them out.  They'll be worth your time.  I don't read junk.  :)

1. A Big Creative Yes
2. A Daddy Blog
3. A Life In Translation
4. A Working Mother's Daily Rant
5. Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online
6. Be More With Less
7. Better Writing Habits
8. Caffeinate Me
9. Calvin and Hobbes at GoComic
10. Confident Writing
11. Journaling Saves
12. Just One Week
13. Lateral Action
14. Life in Development
15. Make A Living Writing
16. Men With Pens
17. Mnmlist
18. My Escape Velocity
19. Pick The Brain
20. ProBlogger
21. Procrastinating Writers
22. Stepcase Lifehack
23. Stirrup Queens
24. The Positivity Blog
25. The Reflective Writer
26. Write It Sideways
27. Write To Done
28. Just A Titch
29. Zen Habits
30. {Courage 2 Create}

Do you use Google Reader or some other type of RSS reader?  Do you use it for another purpose, other than blogs?

My Week In Review

Something I have done for years is to review the past week.  I go through my planner for the past week to see what I've done, what I've accomplished, and where I still need work.  I also go through my journal and read the entries from the past week to see what I was feeling and doing.  What insights or discoveries did I make?

This exercise helps to keep me on track with my goals.  I am able to see at a glance where I am exceling and where I am falling behind.  It's an empowering exercise for me.

This Week's Review:

I've been on vacation from work this week, so I've had LOTS of time to relax, reflect and rejuvenate.  I used the time to catch up on household chores, personal matters that needed attention, and of course my planning for 2011.  I had a follow-up doc appointment (My blood pressure has been too high for three visits in a row.  Not good.), and a much-anticipated phone call (more on that later).  My brand new nephew, Alex, arrived right on time (congrats and much love to Melissa and Gregg!) and I've really enjoyed our time with the girls.  What I am most excited about, though, is my renewed productivity.  I have gotten so much done over the past few days -- all things that are very important to me and will propel me towards reaching my goals.  And I've made some concrete plans for the year to come to make sure that productive trend continues!

I typically get sad about the end of the holidays.  The week between Christmas and the New Year tend to be a bit gloomy.  I LOVE the holidays and hate to see them end.  But this year is different.  Sure, I feel a bit melancholy about another holiday that has come and gone, but this time my spirit has been renewed and I have a new vigor.  I have so much to look forward to!  I'm anxious for the days and weeks and months to come.

Here's what you may have missed:

Thursday:  How Do I Make The Most of This Vacation Day?

Friday:  Six-Month Review and End-of-Year Wrap-Up

Saturday:  Happy New Year!

Plans for the Coming Week:

This coming week may be a bit tough.  I have to tend to some things that will be difficult for me, and I'll be working to add some positive habits and get rid of some negative ones. I also am going to get back to my novel.  That's something I want to do very much, but I've got to get past the wall that's been holding me back for several months.  There's much determination behind me, though, so I'm confident I'll be successful!

Do you have a regular ritual to help keep you on track with your goals and/or responsibilities?  I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you have a great first week of 2011!

Happy New Year!

Sally M*

Can you believe it's 2011?  Doesn't it seem like we just celebrated the first day of 2010?

I don't know about you, but 2010 was a whirlwind for me.  There were tears and laughter, struggles and wins, failures and successes.  There were times when I felt so beat down I couldn't imagine getting back up. 

But most times I was lifted up by the loving, caring support of those around me.  And it's to those wonderful people that I'd like to send this message:

Thank You.  

Thank you for being there for me, for listening to my whines and cries, for making me laugh, and for helping me to remember that life is a dance that should be enjoyed and treasured.

I also want to wave to my new friends out there.  *waves frantically*  I'm so glad to have you in my life.  Your friendship and encouragement means more to me than you know.

I wish you all the most successful and joyful year to come.  2011 is going to be a year to remember!

xoxoxo