Mid-year reflections

Every year for the last fifteen years, we spend the week of July 4th at the beach with family. We, along with my husband’s parents, sisters and their families, all meet at the beach. There are 15 of us now. There is something nice about the continuity. My son was a year old when we first started this tradition. My daughter was two months old the first time she joined us. This is the only way we have ever celebrated the 4th of July as a family.

For me, this week marks an end to one school year and the beginning of the next. I feel like I am in limbo as I reflect on the old and begin to think about the new. I try to take time during our vacation to slow down and relax. It is always difficult for me to “turn everything off” and get into relax mode, but I do my best. For me, relax mode is working on my own self-care. During the school year, I usually work at 110%. That is a combination of personal and family activities, my work at school, and my side projects.

As women, I fear that we don’t give ourselves enough permission. Permission to take care of ourselves. Permission to prioritize what is important to us. Permission to just be. I started by giving myself permission to not work out this week. That allowed me to sleep in. I was able to get a massage when we arrived, and that helped me to relax a little at the beginning of the week. I spent every morning at the beach, reading, and listening to the waves crash. That, to me, is the best form of relaxation. The four of us spent time together as a family, playing miniature golf and driving go-carts. Harell and I went out to a nice dinner to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary, after we spent the day shopping with the kids.

Each year, we lament that our time here is not enough. The week seems to fly by and just as soon as we are settled into a routine, it’s time to pack up and head home. I think this is the first year that I am leaving with a heart full of memories and an aura of relaxation. I’m feeling energized to begin to dig into the new school year. I’m ready to set goals for myself both personally and professionally. I’m ready to work on the best version of myself I can be for the next 12 months. Until next year at this time, when I will reflect all over again.

Yesterday, Harell and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary. 19 years. We have accomplished a lot in those 19 years. We built a family, he built an IT company, and I built my career in education. We both celebrated our birthdays last week as well. We began dating when I was 22. We have now officially been together for half of my life. And yesterday/today is the official mid-year mark of 2019. Day 182/183 of 365. So I thought it appropriate to take some time to reflect on the goals I set for myself at the beginning of this year.

Too many times, we set goals, or make resolutions, only to not return to them. I want to be a little more purposeful this year. These were my 19 for 2019 in January. As of July 1, 2019, I have crossed out the goals I have attained.

Minimize sugar intake
Increase weight when strength training
~~At least 2 weekend trips with Meg (my college BFF)~~
Plan family trip to Philly
Journal daily (both personally and professionally)
~~Organize home library~~
~~Submit proposals for 5 or more conferences (I always submit to ILA and SoMLA annually, I’d like to add a few more)~~
Write EVERY day
~~Plan a weekend at Hershey Park with my nieces and nephew (it was part of their Christmas present)~~
~~Connect with family and friends~~
Complete several MasterClass classes
Begin a daily visual gratitude journal
Plan family weekend trips
Read 119 books (my 2017 AND 2018 reading seasons weren’t pretty!)
Plan a weekend at the Spa at Hershey with my mom and Chloe
Clean out my email inbox (EEEK!!)
~~Plan monthly adult evenings out (either date nights or with other couples)~~
Lose 23 pounds (I’m putting a specific number out there, because I need to hold myself accountable!)
Plan family trip to Niagara Falls

You can see I have about 3/4 of my goals to work on still. Some of them, I won’t be able to assess until the end of the year. A few of them (specifically the health related items) I will put a laser focus on beginning this month. And a few of them, I started out strong and fizzled early in the year (journal daily, write every day, daily visual gratitude journal). This is the time to renew my commitment to my goals and to finish this year off on a strong note!

Coincidentally, I noted in my January 2, 2019 post, that I read Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis over winter break. I connected (my “One Little Word” for 2019) with many of the lies women tell themselves. Interestingly enough, I am reading her follow up, Girl, Stop Apologizing while on vacation this week, mid-way through the year. In her latest book, she challenges women to stop defining themselves in light of other people and to stop talking themselves out of their dreams. I’ve spent a lot of time this week reflecting on the excuses I need to let go of and the behaviors I need to adopt on my path for growth. I’m thinking about how I can finish the last half of 2019 strong and go into 2020 dreaming big!