Welcome back to me, I guess! As some of you have (gently) reminded me, it’s been more than 9 months since I last posted, and that time has not been squandered. It’s been filled with many spreadsheets, intentional investment in relationships, 30% of a master’s degree, and a lot of books – 51 to be exact, which is not as many as I would like, but more than I had feared. Overall I’m content with how I’ve spent the time that has passed; it’s not been wasted.
I was listening to a podcast on my way to work recently, and the theme of this particular episode was why we should celebrate wins, however small, in our lives. I’m not sure that anyone on the podcast would claim to be a Christian, but the particular guest for this episode – Dr. Colleen Hacker, a sports/performance psychologist who worked with the US women’s national soccer team for a number of years – often has small nuggets of wisdom that are still relevant and useful even if not explicitly Christian. One aspect of my personality is that it’s very easy to let best (or perfect) be the enemy of good; I have very high standards for myself, and the temptation is always to focus on what could be improved rather than see the progress that has been made. With that in mind, I’d like to take a few minutes to share some of the wins I’ve seen in 2023:
-As mentioned in the intro, I’ve begun work on a master’s degree. I still have nearly 3 years left before my anticipated graduation due to the timing and availability of courses (and the need to balance work and family responsibilities with coursework), but I’ve made good progress. Perhaps most importantly, I see the relevance to my work life, and in some ways to friendships as well, and have been able to apply what I’m studying.
-Speaking of friendships, my number one concern with undertaking additional formal education was deprioritizing relationships. I’m happy to look back on 2023 and recognize the number of times I did intentionally and proactively invest in relationships. AND it took me fewer than 18-24 months of consistent interaction before deliberately reaching out to get to know someone new! I’m poking a little fun at myself, of course, but the truth is that I’m introverted, generally content with my own company, and very slow to trust. Seeing friendships grow and develop is a huge win for me in 2023.
-Another win was stretching myself socially. I went out on what felt like a very shaky limb and attended a 2-day weekend event designed to encourage women to pursue outdoor activities. All 150-ish other attendees were complete strangers to me and I second-guessed myself the whole way there, but I had a great time and would be interested in doing it again if the timing works out.
-Last but not least, even with the additional demands on my time, I still found plenty time for the things I love: a good book, kayaking, walks in the woods with friends and family, and front-porch bird-watching.
2023 hasn’t been all sunshine and butterflies; there have, of course, been some detours and thunderstorms along the way. The Lord has been good to me and to my family though, and it’s been meaningful and impactful to take the time to think through some of the specifics. Thanks for reading, and if you’d like to share some of your own wins of 2023 with me, I’d love to hear about them.
Till next time.
It still overwhelms me how much you pack into 168 hours a week and still have time for God and family. You are an inspiration. We all have had the “detours and thunderstorms” last year but will strive to learn from the lessons they provided, and not dwell on the setbacks. I always appreciate your sharing what God has done in your life.