Because I have no classes this summer, I have no excuse not to spend some time bettering the world and myself. I believe that improving yourself takes two things: prayer first, and practice second. We all too often stop after prayer (or don't even start there at all!). So, in an effort to gain some practical accountability, I've set some measurable goals to be completed by August 22, 2011 (the first day of Fall classes), and I'm posting them here for all to see.
1. Drink 100 ounces of water everyday.
This might be more of an experiment than a goal. Regardless, health and fitness gurus agree that, in order to lose or maintain a healthy weight, you should consume half of your body weight in ounces of water each and every day (for example, a person who weighs 160 lbs should consume 80 ounces of water every day). Doing so boosts metabolism, flushes out excess toxins and sodium, decreases bloating, and promotes digestive calorie burning! For me, this means consuming about 60 ounces on a daily basis. However, because I enjoy a cup of coffee each morning and work out at least 5 days per week, I'm upping my consumption by an extra 40 ounces. So far, I'm only on day two of this experiment, and it actually takes a little work. I have a wonderful little water bottle that has ounce markers on it, and it holds 25 ounces at a time. In order to meet my goal every day, I have to take the bottle with me everywhere and remind myself to drink it, but I'm thinking that this chore will soon become a habit.
2. Run 150 miles
DISCLOSURE: Run 150 miles total, not all at once! For my summer, this averages out to 10.7 miles a week - just a couple miles short of a half marathon. Because I started this goal on a Friday, my running distances will be totaled from Friday to Friday. For many of you, this goal may seem quite low, especially for someone who is supposedly a specialist in the health field. However, I unfortunately suffer from hyperflexible hip ligaments, which result in constant sprains and a lot of inflammation in my sacro-iliac joints. Because of this, too much running equals too much injury, and way too much pain. Thus, the humble 150-mile goal.
3. Read 4 books, just for fun
Grad school has a funny way of making the word "reading" sound like a curse word. So, I'm on a mission to retrain my mind to love reading. For this summer, that means reading books that are mindless, emotional, and enjoyable - as opposed to intellectual, theological, and scholarly. I believe that I'll be starting the summer off right with Betty White's new memoir, "If You Ask Me," which I will soon be receiving from Kyle as a gift for our first anniversary (the first anniversary is traditionally the anniversary of paper).
4. Share the gospel with 1 person.
This is not my strong suit. I'm much more of a "live out your faith" kind of girl, and actually confronting someone with the gospel in a loving and understandable way is quite terrifying to me. However, if a year at seminary has taught me anything, it's that people in this world are in need of the gospel, and Christian are often all too quick to ignore their needs. Because I'm a huge fan of what they call "servant evangelism" (serving others and meeting a physical need in hopes of opening a door to share the gospel), this goal will also include serving my community in a meaningful and tangible way.
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I have other goals, too, but they are a little vague and certainly not measurable...redecorate the bedroom, become a Southern Living-inspired cook, learn to love Kyle well, etc. As for the goals mentioned above, feel free to call me out on how they're going...I hate confrontation! Also, I'll be posting updates on each of these four goals throughout the summer, along with tips and insights should you find yourself interested in joining me on this wonderful adventure.
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