A New Direction

Good Afternoon,

I have been struggling with keeping to a schedule this year but I want to re-kick off my year. I had set some goals in January and had a pretty good start but got off the train. 

My goals I set in January were three fold:

1) Run/walk/bike 2018 miles.

I have a great desire to be healthy and fit especially since my diagnosis two years ago. I want to make my fitness a priority to my goals this year. This was and is a great way to do that. 

How I fell off track: 

I just have not prioritized nor can I seem to find the time to get these miles in. I've been attempting to tackle everything this year and not focusing on one or two things and this lack of direction has caused all my balls to fall out of the air. This is certainly still a priority for my life that I am going to make happen this year.

How will I get back on Track:

I am purchasing a fitness watch to track my miles. I was depending on tracking my miles via what I ran/walked at the gym but I realized this was letting me down in a big way. I lost motivation because I realized how many more miles I was getting in and they were not being tracked. 

Another way to help get back on track is to stick with a workable schedule. I cannot do everything and it is time for me to cut myself some slack. I'm going to work on planning a schedule that allows me to maximize my time with my kids, homework, and still allows some time to work out.

2) Lose 100lbs in 2018. 

I have a great deal of weight to lose and between my cancer diagnosis and my eye disorder it is imperative I lose weight. However, this particular goal is getting thrown out. Instead of focusing on the numbers I'm going to focus on eating healthy for the entire family and getting in my work outs. If this goal happens great if not that's okay as well. The stress and sorrow of not hitting a certain number on the scale has been more detrimental then helpful.

3) Get out of debt. 

This is a goal I find to be incredibly important. However, I have noticed I don't seem to have a great plan for accomplishing this. Basically, whatever happens happens has been my plan. 

I recently applied for and was offered a job at a local retail location on top of my full time job. After careful thought and consideration (they low-balled me with pay and already attempted to violate my schedule we discussed in the interview) I think I need to go in a different direction. 

Plan for getting back on track:

Step 1: Budget -- We have tried budgeting for a long time but it seems something always gets in the way. We lack the will power to remain in our budget guidelines. 

Step 2: Meal Planning and Shopping Sales -- I'm pretty good with shopping sales but I think it is time to take this to the next level. This is where I plan on bringing all of you along with me. My blog is taking a semi-new direction. I want to be transparent and share how I can cut down a grocery bill for 8 people, cook healthy meals and enjoy a positive lifestyle while becoming financially accountable.

Along with blog entries I am planning on creating a YouTube diary with recipes, grocery shopping hauls and workout vlogs. I already have an Instagram where I share some of my recipes, workout motivation and food stories but I want to get all of these social media platforms on a schedule. This is also how I'm hoping to bring extra revenue in for my family as well to not only pay down debt but improve our home. 

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I want to encourage everyone to leave comments and participate in the dialogue. If you have suggestions for videos, blogs, recipes, or resources be sure to chime in. 

Thank you for reading my words. I want to be better more frugal and better at life. This journey is difficult to go alone but I am grateful for the support and love from each of you.

Edit: I realize I mention my cancer and eye disorder in this blog and haven't told the general public about these two things. They are nothing to worry about. I need to lose weight to help with my pseudo tumor (although they are unsure about their diagnosis) and I have a rare form of inoperable cancer that has most likely been with me all of my life. Both are under careful observation and as long as I have minimal symptoms the plan is to wait and see. 

I did not mention these things sooner because a dear friend of mine was dying of cancer and I couldn't talk about living with cancer while she was dying from it.