2017 - The Year of Follow Through

A tradition I have kept since graduating High School is giving a year a chapter title. Some years were good, some years were devastating, and some years had a necessary point. Every year though acts a building block to who I am today just like chapters telling a tale.

Table of Contents 

  • 1987-2001 CHILDHOOD
  • 2001-2005 ADOLESCENCE 
  • 2005 the year of DOUBT
  • 2006 the year of LOSS
  • 2007 the year of the HOPE
  • 2008 the year of ABANDON 
  • 2009 the year of UNKNOWN
  • 2010 the year of RISK
  • 2011 the year of LEARNING 
  • 2012 the year of PAYING DUES 
  • 2013 the year of ISOLATION 
  • 2014 the year of DEVELOPMENT
  • 2015 the year of HOME
  • 2016 the year of EXPANSION 
2017 has officially been dubbed the year of FOLLOW THROUGH.  

This year for me has really been about taking what I started in 2016 and making it a reality. Everything I did this year I either started, planned, or put it on a to-do list in the fall of 2016. That is why last year was about expanding and this year was about bringing it home. I also could have named this year CLARITY, because I honestly feel like I am seeing myself and everything with crazy focus. In the end though, that clarity led me to follow through on all the things I wanted to achieve for myself. 

These are the five story lines that would be featured in this chapter of my life. 

  1. Health: I lost 90 pounds and can run a nine minute mile to prove it. I went from a size 18 to a size 6. To me it is not the poundage that impresses me it is the endurance I built, the strength I fostered, and the fitness I have acquired in the last year that blows my mind. I started the journey in 2016 and I made sure I kept it alive throughout this year. Now I just need to keep it as part of my life style. I no longer feel like a fat person trying to get fit. I now feel like an athlete trying to reach her fitness goals. That shift in how I feel about myself and how I feel about exercise is what makes me feel like I got this. This is something that is staying and not something that I will have to talk about again in six months when I gain it all back. I tried to stay true to my habits, my tastes, and to tailor healthy living to make it work with me. Feel pretty proud of that. 
  2. Education: I started my Master's Program last year. This year I earned my Master's Degree. It was hard, exhausting, but totally worth it. I felt like I learned a lot from it and I took so much away from the experience. I do think it improved my teaching, reinforced my teacher philosophy, and made me go back to the basics which can sometimes get lost in day-to-day teaching duties. That being said, I am also so glad that it's over.
  3. Professional: I actually trimmed some things from my plate which is something that I put down on my list of 'To Do". I actually did it though which is exactly what I needed so that I can be exceptional at what I do instead of tired and overextended. I am also in the middle of transforming the way I grade, assess, and utilize the new frameworks with my team. It is not something we are talking about, but instead something that we are doing little by little. It is pretty powerful.
  4. Social: I hung out with people more. I am keeping in contact with people more. Not getting bogged down by things. Actually having a good balance of social, alone, and work. Little by little getting better at it. But I actually hung out with people! I even started to like wine, joined a wine club, and went to Paso Robles twice. Maybe I am getting too social?
  5. Adventures: I planned two trips which were epic and were exactly what I needed for two different reasons. Going to see Greece which is an important location for history, democracy, and for my family history as well. I also went to see Turkey a country that is sadly going through a lot of bad changes, so I am glad I was able to see it. It was gorgeous, but it also reminded me the importance of Socrates and the things he taught. Our world is run by Sophists and we need truth more so than ever before. Only those who admit they know nothing... know the truth sadly. I also then went to Eastern Canada and New York City where I ran upstairs, drank a lot, and just relaxed as I explored the cultures of some very cool cities. I planned it in 2016 and I did it in 2017.

    I hope that next year I will continue to build on this and I hope that I will not stop expanding as well as following through. I have never been more proud of me. And being that I am incredibly hard on myself... saying that... is pretty powerful.

    Happy New Year! 

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