2016 Happy New Year!

A new year, a new blog. I've kind of gotten away from blogging this past year in an effort to cut back on how much time I was spending on the computer. Social media, mindless matching games, and other online endeavors sucked up my day and I never managed to get anything outside of barely skimming through the household chores accomplished. So I had to go a little cold turkey--dropped my blog and Facebook, packed the laptop away after a quick morning perusal of email, calorie counting, and a zip through Pinterest--and amazingly I found time for the things I actually wanted to do every day!

So why am I starting back? I still waste a good half hour playing a PC game every morning that I can easily drop and use that time more productively. I've signed up for a couple online challenges this year that I'd like to actually be able to link up blog posts and share my work again. And I've found blogging can be a helpful accountability tool as well. So, I'm back to sharing and blogging--for now. If I find myself spending too much time at it, it may just go back to the chopping block. I did learn to set some priorities in 2015 and I plan to stick with it.

And so to begin this new blog as we embark on another new year, I thought I'd share my list of goals and my One Word for 2016:

Goals 2016

• Draw at least five days a week
• Expand offerings on Etsy
• Work towards commissions (get my work out there!)
• Calendar drawings
• Run the New Bedford Half Marathon
• PR my 10k time
• Reach race pace of 9:35/mi
• Read 25 books

Road Races for 2016

• March-New Bedford Half Marathon
• April-South Coast CARE 5k
• June-Fairhaven Father's Day 10k
• July-Mattapoisett 5 mile; Fisherman's Tribute Fund 5k
• Sept-Acushnet 4.1 mile; Fort Phoenix 5k
• October-Spooky Spooner 10k

 

My One Word for 2016 is Commit.

 

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

and He will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:3

 

commit:  

1. to give in trust or charge; consign.

2. to consign for preservation

3. to pledge (oneself) to a position on an issue or question; express (one's intention, feeling, etc.)

4. to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge: to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.

5. to entrust, especially for safekeeping; commend

6. to do; perform; perpetrate

 

I come up with lots of ideas and plans, grand schemes and wild dreams--but I seem to have trouble with following through any of them to completion. This year I intend to commit to the work, and to commit that work to God--in all I do: art, health, family, relationships. Trust in Him to lead me and help see me through. And committing it all here is my first step of accountability as well.

 

I have lots on board this year, I hope you'll stick around and see how it all unfolds with me! For now, have I wish you a happy, healthy and productive new year! Thanks so much for stopping by!