Friday, January 01, 2016

My New Year's Goal for 2016




It's been a year of change in 2015, and I love change. The biggest change was going from part-time to full-time work for RootsMagic. It was motivated by no longer being considered disabled or receiving Social Security Disability Benefits. My health had improved to the point that I could work full-time and should work full-time. I'm so blessed to love the company I work for - and work from home. 

Well, its that time again to look at how I did with my goals last year and set new ones for 2016.

2015 Goal Review

1. Set aside 1 hour a day to work on my own genealogy. Well I did that pretty good until I started working full-time. Then I was doing about a half hour in the mornings. I'm OK with that change. I even think the goal of 20 minutes a day is even more realistic. I had wanted to get everyone in my RootsMagic database onto Family Tree so all my genealogy work was out there. At the start of 2015 I had 2,135 to add or match to someone on Family Tree. Today I still have 1,740 remaining. Not as good as I would like but I found some of these people I just needed to do more research on, so I would get caught up in the thrill of the hunt. I'm OK doing that, its needful. 

2. Attending the temple weekly, well I started that several years ago. I am still doing 5 initiatories one week and for the next 5 weeks after that I do endowments. I was going to then do sealings. Well I tried but my knees just can't take it. I know I can sit instead of kneel but I have decided to share my names with others that love serving this way. I am only holding the precious close family names for personal sealing sessions. The joyous thing that happened this year is other people started going to the temple with me. I have gone alone for so long it was a nice change. First, my sister-in-law Tami started coming with me. She got me to change from my weekly Tuesday 5:30 am session to 6:00 am. I found the session less crowded and they needed me there, so I have stayed at that time frame. Then my husband William started coming, and Tami in turn decided to attend the temple in her district. It has been wonderful to attend the temple with my husband each week. Then my son Philip started to attend with us. He can't quit make it to the 6:00 am session, so he might go at a different time. I really have to go Tuesday at 6:00 am or no later, otherwise I can never fit going into my schedule. So I have seen involvement with temple work on both sides of the veil this year. This has meant a lot to me.

3. Exercising in the pool at the gym. Well I didn't do to well with this one. Now that I am working full-time I'm not sure how I am going to fit it in my schedule. I also lost my free gym membership when my Medicare coverage ended. I did buy a while ago the DDP Yoga program after seeing an amazing story of a disabled veteran's transformation working out that way and healing. Right now I would have to say my goal is to at least put the DVDs in and test the waters with this program. Water exercise and yoga might be the only things I can do so I have to find a solution. I can't not exercise - so finding and doing something is my goal.

I have developed good habits with consistently working on my family history, and temple attendance. I think I can drop them from my list because a goal is something your trying to obtain, not something you have already obtained. These habits are firmly in place. Exercising needs a solution. I am committed to find one this year, but I can't say I have a clear goal yet. 

New Goals for 2016

1. Scan my life. I am committed this year to be the year I contain my life onto an external hard drive. I broke down and bought a Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 to get the job done. This one will do multi-page, two sided scanning, I needed speed. I also bought a piQx Xcanex to scan books that I don't want to cut the bindings off. In addition to those I have a Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100 which does a single page at a time, a flat bed scanner on a 3-in-1, a Flip-Pal, and a smart phone I can use as a scanner. I have so many ways to scan now I have no excuse for not getting this project done. I do have to take the books apart and have decided on a box cutter and guillotine paper cutter to do the job. I still have to buy those last two items. After trying for years to use the BYU FHL equipment to get this job done, I have come to the conclusion it won't happen, especially now that I am working full-time. I have to do it from home. Now I can.

2. Read books, really good books.  I am reading all day long, but can't find the time to read real books. I have decided that Sunday will be my reading day. After church and to encourage keeping the Sabbath day holy I will read. I will be so happy if I can complete just three books this year 1. Preach My Gospel - I'm half-way done with it now. 2. Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, 3. The Essential James E. Talmage by James P. Harris, Sr. That last one was written by my brother. I've never read the whole book and his new one is coming out this year. I better read this one first. I have some genealogy books I would like to read, but these three books come first.

There are other things on my wish list to get done in 2016, As much as I would like to list them I think it wiser to establish these habits and get them well under way before I test new waters. I have no problem adding new goals and habits to work on throughout the year. 

See ya tomorrow, for tomorrow is always another genealogy day!

No comments: