One Little Word of 2012 (6-month update)

How is it possible that we're already approaching mid-July?! Way back in December (which really feels like just yesterday), I had decided on renewal being my One Little Word of 2012. I thought since we're more than halfway through the year now, it would be a good idea to "check in" with my word.

✗ Renewal of Body
Good news: I've gone to the gym! Bad news: I can count the number of times I've gone to the gym on my hands. My body and mind have both rediscovered my love of pounding the pavement (on the treadmill) to a great beat, the way it clears my mind, gives me energy, allows me to have a restful sleep. But it has yet to become consistent, let alone a habit or routine. The bottom line is I have to make time for this, the way I make time to eat and sleep because, really, it's just as important.

√ Renewal of Spirit
A+! I've done a really good job in the past month or two of nurturing my soul again, not finding but making time to blog, scrapbook, read, write, cook, and "do art" - all the things that make my spirit smile. I make time to hang out with friends, talk to G-d, and listen to children. I am learning to pay better attention to what I need.

~ Renewal of Relationships
Hubby and I have started dating each other again this year, and it's been a wonderful thing, a blast really. In the midst of all the "life crap" we regularly struggle with, we have had a lot of fun together this year, and I'm happy to know the fun is just getting started. I'm particularly looking forward to our annual non-traditional Thanksgiving in Charleston. I also recently renewed a lot of my bloggy friendships, which I greatly missed during the last year, and in doing so found a few new-to-me bloggers that I'm enjoying getting to know. I have NOT done even a remotely decent job of keeping in touch with friends and family afar, and so I hope to begin rectifying that in the months to come.

√ Renewal of Balance
I used to have a very consistent work schedule, which made having a consistent life schedule relatively easy. Once that work schedule became varied, it threw me for a loop. But I've finally learned that just because you don't have the same weekly schedule doesn't mean you can't have a schedule every week. Each Sunday, I sit down with my calendar and, like a puzzle, figure out which hours will be spent on which jobs and where I can carve that all-important time for life outside of work.

~ Renewal of a Budget
I've only recently gotten on track with this goal. I realized that merely saying, "I'm only going to spend $20 this week to play with my girlfriends" wasn't cutting it. That wonderful yet pesky debit card is just too easy to use. So about a month ago, I came up with the idea to take out a certain amount of cash with each paycheck. When that cash is gone - whether it be Monday of that week or Saturday - that's it. No more playing for Cheryl. This little trick has worked remarkably well. I certainly still have some work to do to improve the health of our budget, but I feel like I'm headed in the right direction with it.

✗ Renewal of Home Sweet Home
How many months does it take to put pictures on the wall? Apparently over a year, for that's how long we've been living here, and we still have empty picture frames sitting in a corner waiting to be filled and hung. I am so not happy with the lack of renewal that I've brought to our home. Me being me, I'm not sure that a house of mine can ever be a home until I entertain in it. I am going to make this happen before 2013 gets here. Period.

The verdict? I have brought a lot of renewal to my life, which I'm extremely proud of myself for doing. There are definitely diamonds in the rough to celebrate and for which to be grateful. But there is still some renewing to be done. Fortunately, I have another five-and-a-half months in which to do it.

What would you like to renew in the remaining months of 2012?

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