Back to Work: Goal Setting

I almost titled this post Goal Setting for 2009, but I don't want to dictate my entire year right now -- just set some goals to get me started in the right directions.

I am off to a really, really good start! I discovered something important over the holidays -- I am a worrier! I never knew that, because I don't lie in bed at night thinking over all the things that could possibly go wrong with me and my family. No, this is new since I've had CFS. Whenever I have a big event coming up, I fret terribly about how much it is going to wipe me out. All that stress and anticipation on top of the actual event exhaust me way more than it really should. This is good information to have. It means that I need to be careful not to plan too many big events, and when I do, I should keep realistic expectations and not FREAK OUT!

So, back to my goals: I am using the tools on my website, Chronic Fatigue Community. I am eating healthy again. I'm using menus to plan healthy meals. I'm exercising better. I've increased my yoga a little, and I've started belly dancing! There's a great program on Fit TV that breaks it down into 10 minute segments. It has a nice, slow pace, but it picks up when they put all the steps together. It seems perfect for me to not overdo it.

As for my projects, I've decided I need to get focused. I will add one new healthy recipe to my recipe blog, The Flagging Chef, every day (averaged -- I can cheat and post several at once to meet my goal). Also, I will complete one new page for my website every week. I have so many great ideas, things that will help me by writing them down. I'm also hoping to share what I've learned with others in cyberspace who may be experiencing serious fatigue.

Finally, an announcement -- I am going to write a novel! While I was on my 3-day trip with my husband, an amazing idea came to my mind. I've always wanted to write a book, but I've always thought my life was too boring to write about. Now, I finally have a very interesting, workable idea. I have some resources for research, and I'm excited! I don't really know how to quantify it yet, so my goal will just be to work on my novel every week.

It is interesting how CFS seems to spark a level of creativity that hadn't been tapped into yet. I've seen this on other CFS blogs, too. I'm excited! Wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers.