Another Chapter in the Works....

Like I stated last week, I am really aiming to publish a post (of quality) once a week EVERY Monday.  

This week I want to discuss starting anew.  Now this is nothing profound or me making a huge statement/announcement, but more just me introducing the subject to you all. 

Currently I am in the process of changing physically (having surgery on Wednesday), mentally (see previous post here and future posts regarding the subject will come later) and financially.  

Lastly I realized quite recently that I need to keep my plans to myself and that means even from close family and friends. While they may have the best intentions, they can't see your journey like you can and while they think their advice is actually "helpful", it actually does the opposite. I realize that I was using this not as an opportunity to share my plans, but rather gain some sort of "approval" from individuals. I wanted some sort of....not validation, but maybe gratification?????? I cannot really explain it, but I had an incident lately where I told someone I truly trust what my ultimate career goal was and their statement basically came out as "Aren't you trying to do too much?" It took me aback and I know that in "their" mind that it was coming from a good place, but what I heard was:

"You are not good/smart/"fill in the blank" enough to be in that profession"

Now I am one who has been "preaching" to everyone to be comfortable to share your inner most desires to someone you trust in order to begin the journey of doing your hearts desire. How can I preach that message and when I am finally able to share mine with someone, get the reaction I get? 

So that's basically where I am at. A new starting point looking for support, but no longer able to put myself out there to get it.  

There may not be a post next Monday. It will depend on how I am recouping from my procedure.

Day 4 of the 30 day blog challenge: Dream Job

I sat and thought about this for awhile and I couldn't pinpoint one particular career path. 

Being that there are SEVERAL things I want to do, I know one thing I do not, and that is work NINE TO FIVE.  I am currently living that life and it is not for me.  I don’t know if I could take another 10 years of living for the weekend.  What kind of life is that?  One that I do not want!  Below is a picture that I look at that keeps me focus on the ultimate goals:

Business Entrepreneur.  

Ever since I was little I knew that I would eventually own some sort of business.  My maternal grandmother owned her own nightclub.  She drilled in me two things: 1) Have my own money and 2) Purchase property.  That has stuck in me.  Now I have no plans to own a club, but in the next 3-5 years I do plan to have some sort of business venture as well as invest in real estate with the plan of using the property as rental income. Do I know what type of business I want to have?  Umm… Sort of, still toying with several ideas. 

Clinical Social Worker/Therapist.  

I feel that I resisted going down this path since the end of my freshman year of college.  Nevertheless I felt that I needed to go through and experience all that I did in order to be a sufficient counselor.  While determining what my purpose in life is and the positive experiences I am having (in counseling), in some way I feel the need to pay it forward.  While pursuing my previous career path, I now know that there was no “passion” for it.  Merely that it “looked” good and I like feeling that I wouldn't be average.  Smh….. I look back on that time and view it as my body having a negative reaction to the path that I was going on.  The side effects of it were depression and weight gain.  Now that I have an idea of what I want and to know that I have a passion for it, everything is clearer now.

Professor. 

My reason for being a professor is somewhat similar to wanting to be a counselor/therapist.  One is that I can do both at the same time and they have flexible hours.  Next I love the idea of being paid to think, write and discuss an area that I have a passion in.  Being that I love anything reading, writing, researching and can tie all that in to social issues is wonderful.  However most importantly, just like with being a therapist, I like the idea of nurturing clients/students and watching them take hold of their confidence and grow with it. I see myself as MelissaHarris Perry without the TV show (have no desire to be on television).

Writer.  

When I was little I use to create my own books and magazines.  I would sit there and “create” articles that interest me and make my mom and grandmother read them.  As I got older I put the dream aside because like everything else, there were no writers around me so I believed that it was something that “other” people do; not some girl from “some town” Louisiana.  Being that I never told anyone of my love of writing and never pursued or worked on it, I told myself that I should give up on it because, “you are no good at it anyway” (see how the mind works and play tricks on you??). Now that I am actively working on it, I would love to one day be an author of fiction as well as nonfiction.  

What about you? Do you have a dream job?

TOMORROW: How important you think education is....

May 2012 31 Day Reset

The lovely lady over at Happy Black Woman created an awesome 31 day challenge that helps you "reset" your life!

I have been trying to do it for awhile now, but every time I get to day 15 (urghhh the dreaded day 15) I always end up falling off.  However since I will be finish with school Tuesday, I feel that this month would be a perfect time to try it again and use the blog to hold myself accountable. 

The purpose of the challenge is to complete an exercise each day that helps you get back on track in ways she feels will allow you to become a better, happier, healthier and more successful person in the future.  With this being said, not only will I have time to participate (a month break before summer school starts), but I have also started a new job, and possibly will be making a move by the end of the summer.  These actions feel like I am starting a new chapter in life and I hope that these exercises can help me:

• Continue to get out of the rut I am in; and
• Eliminate behaviors that are holding me back from happiness.

If you are wondering if this challenge is for you, the creator states that:

"Anyone who wants to manifest a change in their life, design a more fulfilling existence, make room for new possibilities or simply gain more clarity about their path to happiness and success.  This challenge will especially be of benefit to you if you've stuck or in a rut during the last year."

If you are interested, please go visit Happy Black Woman site, read her awesome posts and sign up for 31 Days to Reset Your Life!!! It's not too late!  

WISH ME LUCK!!

Bucket List: FUN

Throughout this month I dedicated my blog to my bucket list.  Being that I have such a large bucket list, I have decided to break them down into categories.  I have already discussed my family, fitness financial, career, personal and travel goals.  Today I will discuss:

FUN

• Go to a shooting range.
• Go see Alvin Ailey performance 
• Take a culinary class
• Stay at a spa for an entire weekend
• Go wine tasting
• See at least FIVE Broadway plays in my lifetime
• Grow a functional garden
• Take a photography course
• Learn how to use a sewing machine
• Attend a NFL Super Bowl game
• Attend a NBA Final game
• Attend at least one professional sport event a year.
• Attend at least one concert a year

Now that I have identified my goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals.  

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

The purpose of my bucket list is to challenge myself (and maybe others).  I wanted to start celebrating the here and now by spending time making experiences in life instead of actual things.  My wish is for you guys to join me in establishing your own experiences and in conversation about this journey that I am partaking in!
 

I even plan to document it through scrap-booking!!!  LOL....

Bucket List: TRAVEL

This month I am dedicating my blog to plans and goals.  Being that I have such a large bucket list, I have decided to break them down into categories.  I have already discussed my family, fitness, financial, career and personal goals.  Today I will discuss:

TRAVEL

• Take a solo weekend beach trip ONCE A YEAR!
• Go on a cruise
• Go on an European cruise
• Take a road trip across the US (from NY to CA) one summer
• Visit every state in the US
• Visit every continent 
• Spend a week in New York

Now that I have identified my travel goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals.  

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

Thursday we will discuss my goals for......FUN!!!

Bucket List: PERSONAL

This month I am dedicating my blog to plans and goals.  Being that I have such a large bucket list, I have decided to break them down into categories.  I have already discussed my family, fitness, financial and career goals.  Today I will discuss:

PERSONAL

• Learn to meditate and incorporate it into my life. (see my post about Transcendental Meditation)
• Become spiritually stronger
• Read the Bible extensively from cover to cover (at least 3 different translations)
• Reach each holy book for all major religions
• Become a mentor
• Take a creative writing course
• Take a Toast Masters course
• Take a self defense class
• Take a graphic design and video editing course
• Become a publish author
• Enter a writing contest 
• Take at least one continuing education course every other year.  NEVER STOP LEARNING.
• Consistently write in my gratitude journal (@ least once a week) for a year.
• Become an early riser.

Now that I have identified my financial goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals.  

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

Tuesday we will discuss my goals for......TRAVEL

Bucket List: CAREER

This month I am dedicating my blog to plans and goals.  Being that I have such a large bucket list, I have decided to break them down into categories.  I have already discussed my family, fitness and financial goals.  Today I will discuss:

CAREER

• GET A DAMN JOB.. A REAL ONE! (sorry, but I am really passionate about this one... LOL)
• Obtain my MSW, LCSW, and PHD
• Take courses in Grant Writing
• Obtain my real estate license in LA, MS and GA
• Create a non-profit organization
• Become fluent in Spanish
• Become conversational in Japanese
• Become a professor
• Become a franchise owner
• Earn the Microsoft Office 2007 Master Certification 

Now that I have identified my financial goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals.  

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

Thursday we will discuss my goals for......PERSONAL!

Bucket List: FINANCES

This month I am dedicating my blog to plans and goals.  Being that I have such a large bucket list, I have decided to break them down into categories.  I have already discussed my family and fitness goals, and today will discuss:

FINANCES

• 2015 - Become debt free (except for student loans)
• Start a "future homeowner" savings account
• Have $5000 in my LEVEL ONE emergency savings account
• Have $2000 in my vacation savings account
• Have $500 in my car emergency savings account
• Obtain a starter home/condo/townhouse
• Obtain rental property
• Establish a positive net worth
• Start investing
• Create an IRA

Now that I have identified my financial goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals.

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

Tuesday we will discuss...... CAREER!

Bucket List: FITNESS

This month I am dedicating my blog to plans and goals.  Being that I have such a large bucket list, I have decided to break them down into categories.  Last week we started with family and today:

FITNESS

• Complete Insanity
• Complete P90X
• Run a 5k, 10K, half marathon and marathon
• Learn how to swim
• Start cycling
• Compete in cycle and swim meets/events
• Complete a triathlon
• Compete in a crossfit event
• Start taking regular Yoga Classes (at least one every week or every other week for a year)
• Take tennis lessons.

Now that I have identified my fitness goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals.

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

Thursday we will discuss...... FINANCES!

Bucket List: Family

This month I am dedicating my blog to plans for life and goals.  Tuesday I gave you a history of my life with lists and today we will discuss:

BUCKET LISTS

I have come to the conclusion that I needed to do a better job of keeping up with ALL the goals I set for myself.  Now that I will be entering into my thirties, I do not want to get to my fifties (and beyond) with any regrets!  So in order to not say, "I wish I had done such and such."  (like I have done with my twenties), I will create a bucket list (a.k.a "One day this will happen").

My goals have been broken down into different components below:

Fitness

Finances 

Career

Personal 

Travel

Fun

Family

Today we will focus on the FAMILY portion of my bucket list.  

• Spend time with my elderly relatives.
• Establish better relationships with my siblings.
• Do things with my nieces and nephews.
• Prepare for my "future" husband.

Now that I have identified my goals, the next steps are monitoring and adjusting my efforts in order to achieve my goals. 

WARNING: This list will be ever growing and ever changing of things I want to experience and accomplish in my life.  Please feel free to gain ideas for yourself!

A Life with Lists

I have always been a planner or a person with “lists”.  From as long as I can remember I have tried to plan out how I wanted my life to go.  Throughout the years I have learned that this is not always a good route to take.  If things did not go according to the “plan”, I would literally breakdown. 

What was I suppose to do?  Just live?  Huh? Just living is not on the list!

I spent the latter part of my twenties coming to terms with this and truly learning the phrase:

“If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”

Boy I have I given Him plenty to laugh at! Smh… 

What I basically get out of this quote is that while I was planning my life to the “tee” I was eliminating a major component.  We never know what He has in store for us.  After going through something I thought I could never get through; something I thought would be the worst thing ever, I am happy to say that I made it.  I am not where I want to be, but I am nowhere near the bottomless pit I was in.  I can actually see sunlight.  I finally came to understand that it is okay to make plans, but it is God who controls the outcome. We can make plans, but we have to understand that if it’s His will……

After coming to this realization I knew that it was still okay to make plans, but I sought Him as well.  By doing this small (but great) task, everything became clear.  Now I don’t mean I got a vision of what I was supposed to do with my life, but I did learn how to go about setting goals, letting go of the past and most importantly, having faith in Him. 

While I am walking in faith, I am not without a list.  However this time I am going about it a different way.  After reading several articles, I am now in the process of creating SMART Goals:

S         Specific (describing the exact goal – who, what, when, why)

M        Measurable (creating criteria to measure progress)

A         Attainable (skills/abilities that I will need to make it happen)

R         Realistic (being willing and able to make it happen)

T         Timely (giving a time frame of the goal)

What’s different from today’s Neka versus the Neka of 5-6 years ago (even up until a couple of months ago) is that I will not let “my plans” dictate my life.  They are ever changing and that’s okay.  Perfect example could be that I am currently feeling like I am stagnant personally and professionally.  I spent the past eight months ignoring my goals/plans/lists and wallowing in my failure. I did not want to see a list.  Now that I feel like I am out of my “rut” and in a better place spiritually, I am more capable of setting realistic obtainable (SMART) goals to get me out of this space. 

Each week of this month I will break down all the things I want to accomplish.  Remember that this list will be ever changing.  Please feel free to leave comment and tell me about your history with lists!

Next week.... MY BUCKET LIST - PART ONE (FITNESS)

Motivation Monday: Transcendental Meditation

For almost ten years, I have been wanting to incorporate meditation in my life.  For whatever reason I never can consistently stick with it.  

Oprah's "Next Chapter" show had an episode about transcendental meditation and all the effects of it.  During the episode it showed several people that I respected that participated in this meditation which also sparked my interest.  It was a very interesting episode to say the least.  Below is a YouTube clip of Russell Simmons talking about it:

Here is Oprah's interpretation of it:


What do you guys think?

Monday Motivation: Crossfit

Okay so I am late learning about this.......but better late than never!

CROSSFIT!!

What is CrossFit you ask?  CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. (from CrossFit)

It combines weightlifting, sprinting, gymnastics, power lifting and rowing.  CrossFit contends that a person is as fit as they are proficient in each of ten  (10) general physical skills: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy.  Workouts are typically short-20 minutes or less-and intense, demanding all out physical exertion. Performance, such as the time required to complete a sequence of movements, is measured and recorded, both to facilitate competition between participants and to track individual progress.  CrossFit athletes run, jump rope, climb rope, lift weights, and carry odd object; they use barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull up bars, kettle bells and many body weight exercises.  CrossFit has over 3000 affiliate gyms worldwide and is used by many fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and military organizations.  (from Wikipedia)

There we have it! After gaining some basic knowledge about this "CrossFit" phenomena and finding several affiliate gyms in my area, I should be well on my way to competing in the games (if I am ever picked) in the next 5-7 years! LOL! 

What are the games you ask?  Check out the video below:

I would love to be like this woman one day:

 

One day people.....one day. I still have to get through 30 Day Shred (currently on day 12-level 2), Insanity and P90X.  Probably after these three workouts, I will be somewhat in shape to try the beginner workouts.

TO BE CONTINUED...........