Last week was busy week full of many extra appointments that were added into the schedule, some of them last minute, like doctor’s appointments.  The hot water heater decided to pick this week to stop working too.  Thankfully, it stopped on an evening when Jake was home, not traveling for work.  Jake and my brother Lee were able to get a new one back up and working in one evening!

I was finally able to get an MRI and figure out specifically what is going on to cause all the pain and numbness.  It has been over three weeks since I have been able to sleep in my own bed, the recliner has been the only comfortable spot to sleep lately!  The doctors have found out that I have a severely herniated disc in my neck which is also clamping down on nerves causing the shooting pains down my neck, back, arm, and causing numbness in my fingers.  The doctors are going to try and do a steroid shot directly into that specific disc this week and if that does not work than they want to do surgery.  Praying that the shot will work because the surgery is much more evasive and permanent.  Surgery would require a hospital stay not to mention recovery and effects on my future with mobility, movement, and other issues (obviously not my first choice).

It is getting old not sleeping well, taking medicines that me feel foggy and not myself, the pain is at times very intense and has limited me in a lot of areas, and numbness in my fingers can eventually lead to permanent damage if we don’t get that fixed as well.  It hurts getting older!  I am ready to be back to my normal self soon.  Praying that they can fix it with the simple solution and without surgery.  There are some areas I did okay with this week on my goals and others not so well.  Either way I plan on proceeding forward with all my goals, activities, and tasks as much as possible!

Last week’s goals

Family Goals

1. Pick another book to read to the kids – I picked out Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the girls
2. Jake finish reading Last of the Mohicans to the kids
3. Plan one special activity with the family
4. Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
6. Attend After School Activities
7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
8. Ride Bikes with the kids – I was not able to ride bikes this week due to my neck, back, and arm issues
9. Go for a Walk with the Kids – we did not go on walks this week because I was limited in extra moving around on top of my normal activities
10. Play a Game with the Kids – played Halloween Bingo
11. Attend School Board Meeting – Jake attended for me because I was not able to go due to health issues
12. Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – was not able to get to this one
13. Plan Family Halloween Dinner & Celebration – enjoyed a relaxing Halloween evening and weekend with my family
14. Orthodontic Appointment for Kids

Personal Goals

1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
3. Exercise at least 5 times this week – doctor did not want me doing any additional exercises at this time
4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I got it done, but it took more than one day due to me moving slower and needing help carrying items
2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
3. Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
4. Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer – didn’t get it done
5. Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors) – didn’t get the basement floors clean, but I did a more “deep” clean of the laundry room due to hot water heater dying on us this week!
6. Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – was not able to get this done
7. Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic – need help to get these in the attic so was unable to finish it
8. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – thanks to my brother letting us borrow his mower Jake was able to get the yard mowed, but we still need to get the pool put away
9. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin & Make Homemade Treats with the kids for Skipper) – we made homemade treats for the dog, but still need to refill the goat food bin

Business Goals

1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – still have some that need my attention and a response
3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
4. Work completed for clients

Ministry Goals

1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
2. Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – got started on it

Financial Goals

1. Payoff the Car – working on it
2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
4. Make an extra payment on Outstanding Debt – we were able to make an extra payment this week which helps us inch forward in the right direction!
5. Earn some Creative Cash – I wasn’t able to get any extra creative cash completed this week
6. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – I did go grocery shopping for the first time in THREE weeks, but I did go to more than one store and I went a little over our budget

My goals for the upcoming week

Family Goals

1. Read the book Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the kids
2. Plan one special activity with the family
3. Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
4. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
5. Attend After School Activities
6. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
7. Play a Game with the Kids
8. Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
9. ENT and Eye Appointments for Kids

Personal Goals

1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
3. Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
4. Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer
5. Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors)
6. Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room)
7. Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic
8. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away)
9. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin)

Business Goals

1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
4. Work completed for clients

Ministry Goals

1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
2. Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes

Financial Goals

1. Payoff the Car
2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
4. Make an extra payment on Outstanding Debt
5. Earn some Creative Cash
6. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

Why Share My Goals?

• To keep me accountable
• To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
• To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
• Create healthy habits in my life
• To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.