Skip to main content

List of GOTTAS

          Now that the Christmas decorations are packed away, it is time to move on into 2017.  Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that I make yearly goals, lists and lists of things that “GOTTA” get done. 
          These are not resolutions, those pesky things people profess to do then abandon by mid-February.  Unlike the forgotten exercise equipment, the unused gym membership, or the hobby accessories that get thrown away at Easter, my “GOTTAS” are based on goals that will get done.  It is do or die.  Literally.
          G – these Goals are contingent on dates, amounts, and completion.  They are Gaugeable. I have to lose ten lbs. to be at the weight for my height.  I lost thirty-five lbs. last year; I will lose another ten this year.
          O – these goals are of Obvious necessity for my own physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  I need less stress; more fun.  I need to do something Out-of-the-box; learn something new to stay young and healthy. I must do new things or else I will become obsolete.
          T – these goals are painful Truths, things I should admit to and demand for myself. I must give myself permission, power, and priority when overwhelmed by the wants of others.  
          T – these goals are Time-bound; Time is of the essence; not only for someone of my age but for anyone with a goal in life. I am not getting any younger, any more flexible, any more energetic.  I do not have that many years left to get everything done on my bucket list.  
          A – these goals must have an element of Altruism, unselfishness, giving forward.  I mustn’t forget to share my good fortune with those who aren’t as blessed. My brain years for Art and creativity.  My right brain would like a go at it after years of left brain dominance.
          S – this goal yearns for Spirituality and calmness of spirit.  It yearns for less Stress and more Smiles, enjoyment of a life well-lived.  The new year provides a chance to Start over and try Something New.
          So here they are – my GOTTAS.  Based on this criterion, I am scratching things off my lists and adding others.  No sin in admitting that what worked last year will not make it onto the list this year. 

          Happy New Year to you. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dating Challenged

I stink at dating – always have.   I sputter.   I hyperventilate.   I fail miserably every time. I blame a pathetically underdeveloped gene that got little use before I married in my early twenties, then atrophied, gathering dust and rust, until I became single again in my fifties.   I decided to use this defect to my advantage when I needed to do some investigative reporting a few years back.   While on a newspaper writing assignment on Boomer-aged dating, I sacrificed my dignity and my vanity for the sake of the story (and I got several). Thank goodness, HoneyBunch saved me from all this when we married.  (He comes up with the best dates.) I’ve decided I will “show you mine if you show me yours.”   I will swap dating horror stories with you, but you have to promise to play along. The trick here is to tell about your worst date in 25 words or less.   You must keep it clean and you cannot name names. Our little contest will run only this week and before my next blogger posting.   Me
8 comments
Read more

Twelve Female Hero Authors Who Influenced Me to be an Author

In honor of Women’s History Month, I decided to share twelve female authors who changed my life forever and who influenced me to try my hand at writing. Some are not widely popular so you might want to try them out. 1.    Charlotte Bront é – English – Her plotting and characters - Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester – are immortal.  2.    Louisa May Alcott – American – I loved how she created a family of Little Women that reminded me of my sisters.  3.    Jane Austen – English – Another author who knew how to build immortal characters. Two words:  Mr. Darcy. Two more words:  hubba hubba. 4.    Emily Dickinson – American - What a poet! Her innovation was pooh-poohed at first, but now we owe her for breaking all those punctuation barriers. 5.    Beverly Cleary – American – She created a little girl in Ramona that reminded me of me when I was a little girl.  I wish I had met Ms. Cleary’s books sooner instead of when I was in my 30’s. 6.    Judy Blume – American - He
4 comments
Read more

Happy Breastday to Me!

I gave myself a very special birthday present this year – I had surgery. Before you think it was to increase, decrease, or “lift” something, let me tell you it was not cosmetic (though I could probably use a few nips and tucks at my age; the infinite number of creams I buy OTC are not working their promised magic). About four or five months ago, I discovered a hard lump about the size of a large marble in my left armpit.  I had been feeling small pangs of pain in my left chest for several months, but I figured it was just my turn to dance with heart disease.  Everyone in my immediate family is diabetic and suffers from strokes or heart attacks, so I thought – here we go; my turn. I was going to tell my internist about the pangs during my next visit, so imagine my surprise when I discovered the lump. The Drama Queen in me immediately manifested herself – cancer, I thought.  I have cancer. I searched some more and found that the texture on the left side of my left breast felt diffe
9 comments
Read more