Update #2 on New Year's Resolutions

It's hard to believe that it's already been three months since my last review.  As a refresher, here are the goals I began with this year:

1.  Get in shape.

2.  Read more

3.  Implement the monthly virtue lessons in a book titled "In This House, We Will Giggle" to help teach the kids important things we want to pass on but in a purposeful, fun way.

So how has it been going?  Well, not too bad!  

Goal #1:  Between mid-March and mid-May I lost about twelve pounds and met my desired weight.  As a really cool bonus I learned some valuable lessons in the process.  You see, not a single person said anything about the weight loss.  Twelve pounds is a lot for no one to notice and at first I was a little upset about that until I realized three things:  1) That must mean that I'm getting pretty good at camouflaging extra pounds with my clothing choices 2) As much as I obsess and worry over my appearance when I'm heavier, it doesn't seem to occur to anyone else, least of all my husband and 3)  You absolutely cannot make changes like this for anyone on earth but yourself.  So the weight loss was great, but the take-aways were far more valuable.  Even though I will most likely fluctuate those numbers on the scale again, I really hope the lessons stick.

Goal #2:  Going great!  This quarter I read Nobody's Cuter than You by Melanie Shankle, Momumental by Jennifer Grant, Ketchup is a Vegetable by Robin O'Bryan, and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben.  I even threw in two very large fiction works: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.  That's six books, bringing my total to ten for the year.  My goal was approx. one per month with a total of ten, so even if I don't pick up another book (which I will because I have one on my nightstand to start and two on their way from Amazon) I've reached my goal with six months to spare.  SUPER pumped.  (By the way, in case you're curious, most of them were great.  If I had to choose a recommendation from each category, it would be The Happiness Project for non-fiction and All the Light We Cannot See for fiction.)

Goal #3:  Ah, still so-so.  We really did well with this month's virtue, which was "perseverance."  I reckon' I'll just have to draw on that one a little bit to make sure we keep  our focus on this goal these next couple of months.  :)

So there ya have it!  If your resolutions have fallen by the wayside, the start of a new school year is always a great time to turn over a new leaf.  In fact, I just may add one to my own list come August! 

...Okay, that's crazy talk.  I need to go persevere through a new book.