Repurposing Blog

I am going to be slightly reformatting the purpose of my blog, but hope you stick with me as a reader.  I tried changing the name of my blog but realized all my old links would not work if I did that, so I am keeping this live - but am asking you to follow me to my new site at http://mrjoshuabrown.blogspot.com/ for future posts.

For over a year I have been posting about living a balanced life and writing articles related to different strands of wellness.  I will still be looking at five stands of wellness going forward but through the lens of setting and meeting goals.

I will be posting my goals for 2014 here later today.  There will be a goal in each of the following areas:

• Spiritual 
• Financial 
• Intellectual 
• Relational 
• Physical 

Throughout the year I will... 

• Share my progress on my goals.
• Go deeper into one of my goal areas by sharing my thoughts/learnings during my journey
• Share strategies to help you set and meet your goals. 

I will be encouraging you to share your goals with me too so I can try to help you meet your goals. 

We Made It!

It is the end of 2013.  How did you do on your 2013 goals - here is a quick snapshot of my goals!

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

FINAL UPDATE:  We paid of over 40% of our outstanding debt and moved our debt free day up to October 1st, 2015!

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

FINAL UPDATE:  I have completed 103 books so far with a chance to finish one more before going to bed tonight. 

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

FINAL UPDATE:  I was did not make this goal - but will continue to strive for this during 2013 as part of my overall fitness goals. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  

FINAL UPDATE:  I was able to do these things! 

I have been working on creating 5 SMART goals for 2014 that will stretch me to be a better version of myself and continue to improve that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.  I will be writing them up today to be posted tomorrow along with a new format for my blog.

Last Month of 2013

Can you believe it is already December?  It is the last month of 2013 and the final days to accomplish a few of my goals and start working on creating my 2014 goals.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  We have already completed this goal and have decided at least for the time being to stay in our current house.   Anna is working on her Master's Degree right now which will help her salary increase over the next couple of years to help up eliminate debt quicker.  I also changed my cell phone carrier which will lower our monthly expenses.  We will be looking at other ways to make money and cut expenses in 2014! 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I am right on track with my intellectual goal having completed 91 of my books already.  I will need to finish 9 more (3 which I will complete based on my daily readings - devotionals/Bible) this year. 

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE:  I was a little short of my end of November goal, but still believe I can make it to my pre-broken foot weight of 175 pounds by the end of the year (only 8.2 pounds to lose over December). 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  

UPDATE:  I have done my personal time throughout the month of November and added "The Love Dare" to supplement this time.  In addition Anna and I are using a devotional together by Tony and Lois Evans that has lead to some good conversations.  William and I are working on establishing a habit of reading/discussing a devotion each day for boys which is going well. 

I will post one more update at the end of the year on each of these four goals and share my goals for 2014 in about 31 days.

2 to Go!

The year is quickly disappearing and so are our opportunities to reach the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year.  Here is my update on how I am doing with my goals.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  During the month of September we had a few unexpected expenses, which slowed down our debt payoff by a month.  We are back to being set to knock out our current mortgage no later than March 1, 2016 (Only 851 Days Away!) 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 81 books in 2013 and as always working on a few mores.  I have fallen even more behind and am now two books off pace.  I will have the opportunity to do more reading during Thanksgiving break this month to hopefully catch up going into the final month of the year. 

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I ended up staying on track toward my goal at the end of October.  My short term goal for November is to lose at least 7.2 pounds to keep me on track!  

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  

UPDATE:  I have stayed on top of my personal quiet time this month and plan to add more journaling to the time during the month of October and share some of my thoughts through twitter or other social media outlets. 

Healthiest State Walk

One of the goals of the state of Iowa is to become the healthiest state in the nation.  In 2010 Iowa ranked 19th, in 2011 Iowa was 16th and then moved up to 9th in 2012.  Check out this video to learn more about the initiative as Iowa strives to move into 1st place.



Today hundreds of thousands of Iowans will join together for the Healthiest State Initiative Walk to promote wellness and movement.  I will be joining over 40 staff members and the hundreds of Goodrell students in walking tomorrow.  You can join our walk and walk from wherever you are by clicking this link.

It is important for each of us no matter where we live to be active and make a difference in our own health and encourage the those around us to do the same.

Falling into October

I cannot believe it is already October.  September seemed to fly by and now we are getting ready to conferences and for fall weather.  Along with a new month marks a time to check in with my goals for the year.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  During the month of September we were able to knock another month off of our mortgage through saving and cutting expenses.  One of the expenses I am looking forward to shrinking is my cell phone bill starting in November when I switch carriers to save on my monthly fee.  We now will be debt free no later than February 1, 2016 (in 29 months)!

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I barely made my short term goal for September, but still am on track.  In order to stay on track I will need to lose 7.6 more pounds during the month of October.  I know it will be tough, but I am committed to making it happen!  In addition, part of our district wellness program has me tracking the amount of water I consume each day for the month of October.  I hope it helps me focus on staying hydrated and healthy! 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 74 books in 2013 and as always working on several other ones.  I have fallen behind pace by 1 books - but several of the books I am reading are ones that you read throughout the whole year (my devotional/the Bible) so those will help me finish strong at the end.  I still would like to use October's 31 days as an opportunity to get ahead of the ultimate pace again though. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

UPDATE:  I have done this consistently   I will still keep working on two post each week, but realize that if I end up with only one I am still successful. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  

UPDATE:  I am doing well for my own quiet time and even have started a new study as a couple through our church, but have not done a good job leading in family devotions.  While I am still committed to doing a better job at this, I am knocking it off of my goals to do 5 times a week for the rest of the year.  It has been a struggle to line up our family schedules 5 times a week.  I think in the end it is more important to live out and talk about Biblical principles throughout your life than the time - but still want to create that habit for William too so will start recommitting to one time of week of intentional family Bible time. 

Reflecting on My Juice Fast

I survived my three day juice fast.  I honestly was hungry only at two points during the three days.  The first was when I didn't do a great job drinking my water during the first part of day one.  The second was late at night on day 2 when I stayed up two hours later than I was planning and didn't adjust my juice or water intake.

I felt great and had plenty of energy all three days.  It was a great test of my self-control as I still cooked the meals for my family that I had to resist tasting or eating any of it.  From a health perspective I hope that it helped cleanse out some of the toxins that were in my body and give me a rejuvenating shot toward healthy living the next several months.

The short term impact included losing just over 2 pounds in four days (3 including the fast and one day after).  I assumed this would somewhat be negated as I start eating foods again.  I feel great and believe that if I could resist eating solid foods for three days I should be able to make mostly healthy choices moving forward.

While I was able to complete this juice fast without any negative side effects you are recommended to check with a medical professional before radically changing your diet to make sure it would be healthy for you.  My post is just a reflection of my experience and not meant to be used as an endorsement or recommendation of others completing a three day juice fast. 

3 Day Juice Fast

After spending the last several weeks trying eat better and be more active as I strive to live a healthier life I heard about a 3 day juice fast cleanse on a podcast I was listening to.  Here is a website that has lots of different options on "rebooting with juice".  I found lots of websites talking about different juice fasts/diets, but most of them are very similar.

I have decided for the next three days to try a juice fast/detox and report back the results both physically, emotionally, etc.   I have decided to commit to the following principles during my juice fast based on the different sites I read:

• I will not eat any solid foods for three days.  I will only drink vegetable/fruit juices, water or herbal teas. 
• I will drink at least 16 ounces of water between every juice. 
• I will drink 4-6 juice servings each day.
• My exercise will loose intensity but still exist during the fast.  Will focus on yoga, walking, or other light exercise. 
• Try to get extra sleep. 
• After I finish my 3 day fast will continue to add more fruits and vegetables into my diet. 

I hope to feel better after going through this cleanse and be able to reboot my health and fitness routine by creating a greater focus on the food I put into my body after I complete my fast.  

Step It Up

Tomorrow I begin another physical wellness accountability group.  I am joining together with about 20 other staff members from my school to participate in Live Healthy Iowa's: The Next Step Challenge.  During this challenge teams of 2-10 Iowans track the numbers of steps they walk each week with a pedometer.  The numbers are reported and we can track how we are are doing compared to others and set personal step goals.

My personal goal is walk on average over 10,000 steps per day from September 9th to the end of the challenge on October 18th.

Along with tracking our steps we have a "team" that will be able to help keep each other accountable and encourage one another.  Live Healthy Iowa also gives us lots of online recipes, workouts and other health information to help us live healthier in additional to supporting our goals of moving more.

You can join today on their website or can join informally and commit to walk more over the next 40 days.  You can track your steps using a pedometer or a smart phone app.  If you need an accountability partner let me know and I will support you!

Bucket List to Life List

I recently was directed toward the Beyond the To Do List podcast and have spent some time listening to the past episodes.  One of the episodes that made an impact on me was when Erik Fisher interviewed Alli Worthington.  During the interview she talked about how she has a life list.  I found the the conversation very interesting and made me think about my bucket list.  Sometime bucket lists are seen are finite (for example 100 things before I die) and when you put an item on the list it stays on it until you complete it.  While a life list maybe is seen as more fluid - as your passions and interests change so can the items on your list.

Even though I said I would share some of the things that still remained on my bucket list on an earlier blogpost, I have decided to update my list and turn it into a life list.  Here are a few of the things that are on my list:

• Go on a mission trip with William
• Take William to lots of different events
• a Cubs game in Wrigley Field
• to a NFL game
• to Washington, D.C.
• to a Broadway Play
• to a major concert
• to a NBA game
• To watch William graduate from high school and college
• To meet my grandchild(ren)
• Be silent for an entire day
• Do a lot of traveling
• Visit the Holy Land
• Go on a Cruise
• Go to Hawaii
• Go to Africa
• Go to Asia
• Go to South America
  
• Go to Australia 
• Go to England
• Go to Niagara Falls
• Go to the Grand Canyon 
• Go to Ireland
• Attend/Do Specific things

• Watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve in New York City
• Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
• Be in DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival
• Go ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza
• Sleep overnight on a train
• Attend a Supreme Court hearing
• Go to a professional championship game
• Go to an Iowa bowl game
• Go to the Olympics
• Sky-Dive
• Hot-Air Balloon Ride
• Complete a marathon
• Complete a triathlon
• Complete the entire week of RAGBRAI
• Be debt free (including mortgage) and go to Dave Ramsey's studio in Nashville
• Have a commitment free summer

Sorry the list ended up so long, I kept adding things as I was typing.  I think by posting your life list in a public place you may connect with people who want to do similar things you do and have an accountability partner to make sure you take action when an opportunity arises. What are some things on your life list?  

September Goal Update

September 1st marks another month ending and therefore an update on my 2013 goals.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I won a debt scholarship by participating in forums, completing survey's and writing a "debt essay".   This scholarship coupled with our budgeting helped us get 2 months closer to debt freedom.  We are set to become debt free no later than March 1, 2016, which is only 911 days away!  We have already met our goal of paying off over 20% of our outstanding debt so we will continue on paying as much off as much as possible this year.

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I was able to meet my short term goal that I set for August in order to stay on track to meet my ultimate goal.   In order to meet this goal, I will need to lose at least 8 pounds by the end of September.  

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 69 books in 2013 and as always working on several other ones.  I read a lots of books in August and have finally got ahead of pace again.  In September, my goal is to continue to stay ahead of pace. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  I have written at least 2 post every week in the month of August.  I also have been able to get more predictable by posting on Wednesdays and Sundays. Our family has not done a good job and being consistent with the good news jar.  I will see if I can help lead us to do better this month.  If our family chooses to drop the goal, then I will report that at the end of the month. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week.

UPDATE:  I have got back on track with my personal devotional time, but need to do a better job of being a spiritual leader at home with family devotional time. 

A Scout Is...

This year scouting will be different for our family.  William moves from being a Tiger scout up to the Wolf den.  In addition, Anna and I have agreed to help lead William's den.  This is one way to for us to spend time with William while having an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other children in our community too.  I am an Eagle Scout and am looking forward to sharing some of the values of scouting with my son and other boys.  Here are those values:

As teachers, we will work on creatively interweaving these values into each meeting in a way that will be fun for the members of our den.  One of the goals of Cub Scouts is for the boys to know, commit and practice these 12 core values.  I believe if every kid in America would know, commit and practice these 12 core values the future of our country would be bright.  Anna and I will do our part to help teach, model and help the boys under our care to grow in these areas.

Recommitting to Fitness

I have recommitted to myself and my family to refocus on my personal health and fitness again.  My new physical wellness goal is to get back to my pre-broken foot weight by the end of the year, which at this point would mean losing another 41 pounds.  In order to do this I have broken my goal into more manageable monthly goals.  This month I need to lose at least 6 more pounds to stay on track.  How am I going to do this?  As I mentioned on Sunday, I am participating in the START Experiment and have committed to working out 6 times a week and watching what I am eating each day. 

One of our assignments for the experiment was not only to create a "risk" but to create actionable steps on how we are going to START! Here are a few of mine:

• I have created a weekly schedule for my workouts each day and posted it on my refrigerator.  This guarantees I will see it to be reminded. It is also intentionally in a public place so my wife can ask me about it and help keep me accountable.  I mixed up the workouts in order to focuses on my whole body and keep working out fun for me.  I have included kickboxing, running, cycling, some core workouts, etc.
• I am tracking everything I put in my body again using My Fitness Pal so that I can make sure that I am eating enough calories but not also staying on track to be able to lose some weight. 
• I am sharing my progress on social media through the START Experiment group and my personal facebook and twitter accounts.

It is important that if you are going to set goals that you also create action steps so that they can become a reality.  What actions do you need to take today to accomplish your goals?

Time to START

After reading START by Jon Acuff earlier this year I have made a few subtle changes into my life, but haven't really done anything "risky".  This all changes starting tomorrow.  I am participating in a START Experiment in which I choose some "risks" to make public and allow others to hold me accountable to.  Part of what is risky is publicly announcing my goals making myself vulnerable by allow others to hold me accountable and ask me how I am doing. 

In addition to the community that I joined, I would love for you to ask from time to time how I am doing too.

Here are the risks I have created for myself for the next 24 days.

• Personally, I am STARTing to get back in shape by watching what I am eating and working out at least 6 times per week.  Since I broke my foot in February I have gained a lot of weight and need to get myself refocused.
• For this blog, I am going to lay out potential topics for the year and begin the writing process on several of them.  My goal is to write a new post at least twice a week.  I am attempting to post every Sunday and Wednesday.   In addition, I am going to reflect on what the purpose of the blog will be which may lead to a name change and a move to a self-hosted platform.  Please share with me what you like about the blog which will help me as I reflect.

What risks do you need to take to get STARTed moving toward your dreams/goals? 

Goal Update After A Crazy Month

We made it through July.  It was a crazy time with NEA RA, a family vacation, RAGBRAI, a training in DC and then ISEA Summer Conference.  It is now over and I can see a few days in my future that I may get to relax, spend time with friends and family and prepare for the upcoming school year.  I did make some progress toward some of my goals in July so I want to update you where I am.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances  find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I are still on pace to surpass this goal in 2013.  We have knocked another month off our debt free date and are now on pace to be debt free no later than June 1st, 2016!  Which means we will be debt free in 1035 or less days.  I am looking forward to seeing that date be less than 1000 soon! 

Physical Wellness 

By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: As of today I am 46 pounds away from this goal.  In order to meet this goal I will need to lose at least 9.2 pounds each month this year.  Since the first month will likely be the easiest my goal is to be no more than 35 pounds away from this goal by the end of August. 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 57 books in 2013 and am working on several other ones.  Even though I read a lot while on vacation I didn't get much reading accomplished during my meetings, trainings or RAGBRAI.  I am currently one book behind pace to make my goal and will need to do a lot of reading these next few weeks before school begins to have a chance to meet this goal. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  Now that I have taken the month of July off my blog I will be back at it starting now!

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week using Bruce Wilkinson's Family Walk.

UPDATE:  I have continued with my personal devotional time it has been harder to schedule the family ones while traveling so much in July.  We will be working to recommit to those this month. 

Half Way There

The year is half over!  It is hard to believe that my goals area already 6 months old.  There are several goals that have had to be changed and others I have already accomplished.  Here is a quick update on them.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances  find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I are still on pace to surpass this goal in 2013.  We have knocked another month off our debt free date and are now on pace to be debt free no later than June 1st, 2016!

Occupational Wellness 

One of my goals this year is to have portfolios prepared for every one of my students showing their specific progress based on the Humanities IB-MYP Objectives for 6th grade.  In order to do this, I will continue to stay organized and make sure to be given specific and meaningful feedback on all major assessments throughout the year. 

UPDATE: I have completed this goal and will not be adding another goal in this area this year so I can concentrate on the other areas. 

Physical Wellness 

I have many physical wellness goals this year.  One of my goals is to complete the entire week of RAGBRAI in July.  By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I have actually taken steps backwards on this goal and this month likely will not help as I am traveling most of it.  I still will be making this a goal and doing the best I can during the month of July.

Environmental Wellness 

One of my goals in 2013 is for William to complete the "Leave No Trace" requirements for cub scouts to learn the importance of taking care of our environment. We will work with William to learn to be intentional with doing things outdoors and indoors to help protect our planet. 

UPDATE:   William completed this achievement and got his award at the June pack campout.  I will not be creating another goal in this area to be able to concentrate on the other goals. 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 46 books in 2013 and am working on several other ones.  I am currently three books behind pace to make my goal, but hope that July helps me catch up and get ahead while on vacation. 

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  I will continue working on these goals even while traveling. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week using Bruce Wilkinson's Family Walk.

UPDATE:  We completed our marriage small group study in June.  Anna and I are working on a couple devotional together over the phone while I am away and in person when possible this month. 

My Goal Update as Summer Begins

Summer break is approaching for students and staff and it is a great time to reflect on your goals for the year and make some adjustments to finish the final 7 months strong.

Financial Wellness 

By the end of 2013, we would like to pay off over 20% of the current outstanding debt on our house.  To do this Anna and I will continue to work together with our finances  find more opportunities to earn and save more money.  We have also considered looking at selling our house, since we probably have a larger house then we really need. 

UPDATE:  Anna and I are still on pace to surpass this goal in 2013.  We updated our financial records and made some progressions and are on pace to be able to be complete debt free by July 2016.  l  I believe we will continue to work with gazelle intensity to get out of debt even earlier. 

Occupational Wellness 

One of my goals this year is to have portfolios prepared for every one of my students showing their specific progress based on the Humanities IB-MYP Objectives for 6th grade.  In order to do this, I will continue to stay organized and make sure to be given specific and meaningful feedback on all major assessments throughout the year. 

UPDATE: I have completed this goal.  Students will get to take their artifacts home next week.  It has been a great school year.  I am looking forward to a summer full of activities to rejuvenate and prepare for another challenge next year. 

Physical Wellness 

I have many physical wellness goals this year.  One of my goals is to complete the entire week of RAGBRAI in July.  By the end of 2013 I would like to be back at my pre-broken foot weight. 

UPDATE: I am cleared for physical activity that doesn't involve kickboxing or constant jumping.  I am adding many physical activities back into my schedule and will work on getting back into shape.  I will be participating in RAGBRAI in July, but due to a training/conference for the NEA position I was recently elected to I will have to leave 2 days early.  I have updated my 2013 goal to get back to my pre-broken foot weight.  This will mean I need to loose another 29+ pounds between now and December 31st.  One of the ways I am doing this in June is  being part of an fitness challenge accountability group.  Come join me!

Environmental Wellness 

One of my goals in 2013 is for William to complete the "Leave No Trace" requirements for cub scouts to learn the importance of taking care of our environment. We will work with William to learn to be intentional with doing things outdoors and indoors to help protect our planet. 

UPDATE:   William only has to do a presentation with a poster to his pack to complete the requirements.  The pack did not have a pack meeting in May, so I am trying to organize a time that with his den/pack leaders when he can complete this component of his achievement.  Hopefully William will be able to do this in June. 

Intellectual Wellness 

My goal for 2013 is to read at least 100.  As Charlie Jones said, "Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet."  I want to read some good books, so that I can be a better person five years from now. 

UPDATE:  I have currently read 39 books in 2013 and am working on several other ones.  May was a very busy month with not much time to pick up a book and read, due to this for the first time all year I am behind the pace I need to maintain to reach 100 books.  

Emotional Wellness 

I will continue to blog about my throughs and feelings at least once a week throughout 2013. I will also post additional content on my blog's facebook page.  

A friend shared a great idea on facebook that our family has decided to put into action in 2013.  We will be keeping a "Good News Jar" to write notes of all the good things happening this year to open up and read on December 31st, 2013.   

UPDATE:  Summer is going to be busy and I will be focusing on being thankful and writing those comments both in our jar, through social media and here on my blog when the time allows. 

Spiritual Wellness 

After finishing reading the Bible again in 2012, I plan on starting over in 2013.  In addition to reading the Bible, I will be using Tony Dungy's The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge for my personal quiet time in 2013.  Another spiritual wellness goal of mine for 2013 is to begin weekly devotionals as a family at least 5 days a week using Bruce Wilkinson's Family Walk.

UPDATE:  Anna and I are doing a couple new devotionals as a couple.  We will be completing our small group series on marriage on June 16th with our small group as well. 

Staying Accountable with DietBet

After nearly 3 months of not being able to participate in much of any physical activity have been cleared by my doctor for some activities including biking.  I am looking forward to trying to get back in shape and prepare of RAGBRAI in July.  One of the negative side effects of not being active for a long period of time was the gaining of several pounds.

One of the things I am doing to help get myself accountable to lose some of those pounds during the month of May is hosting a DietBet with anyone who wants to join me.  You bet $20 that you can lose 4% of our bodyweight in 4 weeks and if you win you get to split the pot.  The more people who participate the bigger the pot.  I have found that by putting my money on the line I am much more motivated to meet my health goals.

Here is quick video that explains the process:

So what do you say?  Do you have a few pounds to lose and want to join us in staying accountable.  Join our DietBet today!