Goals- 2023 Edition

 

My pastor posted something on Facebook today about a notebook he found with his goals from 2017-2020 written down in it. Another friend also posted something last week about about how she had originally wanted to be a vet, but she felt God leading her away from that profession. Now she's a mom to 3 adorable kids and she posted the "surgery" that she did on one of their stuffed animals last week, making her see how God's plans were better than her plans. Both of those postings made me think about the goals that I have had and how God's plans were different in some ways and similar in others. I knew I had blogged about them somewhere on here, so I found that particular post. I wanted to make a few updates because things have changed again in the past 13 years since I wrote the updated one. At the rate I'm going, the next update about my goals will be in 2040. :)

From 2010- I found an old journal entry from 10/31/2001 entitled, "Things I Want To Do In My Life." I wrote down the goals that I had for my life and kind of forgot about it after that... on another note, I think it also shows my love of Halloween since I spent that evening writing in my journal, instead of trick-or-treating or hanging out with friends. Here's what I wrote and here's what has actually happened in the past 9 years:


Goal: Take a road trip by myself.
Reality: 2010- I've taken quite a few road trips by myself now. The longest one being from California to Kentucky with stops in Tuscon, AZ; Midland, TX; Dallas, TX; and middle of nowhere, AR. Unfortunately, I didn't take the time to stop at places like Graceland and the world's biggest ball of twine.

2023- I've taken more road trips. Some with Andrew, some with Elisha, some with both of my guys, and some with myself. It turns out that road trips are much easier in the South because there are a lot more places that you can drive to without much traffic. I've been back and forth to Kentucky a few times, to upstate New York, and to Alabama. Plus, lots of little road trips to the far reaches of Virginia and to Washington DC. We've also had quite a few 4-5 hour road trips from Portland to Bandon, OR, thanks to my dad's side of the family moving there.

Goal: Write a book about the people that I talked to on my road trip.
Reality: 2010- I didn't do it and I should have when I had the opportunity.

2023- I still haven't done this.

Goal: Take lessons of some kind (I'm thinking piano, hip hop, karate, or ballet).
Reality: 2010- I took a hip hop class and plan to again. I got a piano for my 25th birthday and played it almost every day for 3 years until moving to Kentucky.

2023- I took a Bollywood dance class in 2010 and wasn't very good at it.

Goal: Take a cruise to a tropical island.
Reality: 2010- I took a cruise to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada with Andrea.

2023- Andrew and I took a cruise to Cozumel and (I think) Costa Maya during the week of Thanksgiving in 2018.

Goal: Be a camp counselor at Hume Lake for an entire summer.
Reality: 2010- I was a camp counselor for 1 week per summer at Royal Family Kids' Camp for 4 years and 1 week at Camp Shawnee last year.

2023- I haven't been a camp counselor since 2009 and I miss it because I LOVE camp.

Goal: Become a guidance counselor for my career.
Reality: 2010- Became a special ed. teacher for my career and may go back to it eventually.

2023- Became a BCBA in 2014... this change is my favorite because there were 2 things that I truly loved as a kid. 1) I loved working with the 3-4 years olds at the church that I grew up in and thought it was so fun to interact with them. 2) When I was in the 6th grade, I was in a 5th grade/6th grade combination class and there were only about 10 of us 6th graders in there. I think I was a pretty independent worker, so I would finish my assignments earlyish. I remember that they would send me to work with a 3rd grader to help him with his reading and I loved it! I remember thinking that I would love to eventually be able to teach kids on an individual basis while having fun, but I didn't think there was any job out there like that. As a BCBA, I get to teach kids how to talk while also having fun with them and finding what motivates them. I love that God put those desires in my heart as a kid and that they came to fruition eventually in an unexpected way.

Goal: Become a missionary in a foreign country for 1 summer (Or maybe longer).
Reality: 2010- Went to Haiti for 3 weeks and held babies. Volunteered in Kentucky for one amazingly magical year.

2023- Now I think any place can be a missions field and it's important to be a light for Jesus wherever you may be at that time. 

Goal: Have a really cute dog.
Reality: 2010- I have to settle for a cute nephew-puppy until I have the space for my own dog.

2023- We got our Golden Girl, Betty White, in 2021. She's the cutest, prettiest, sweetest girl in the whole wide world and I love her so much! 

Goal: Have season tickets for the Lakers.
Reality: 2010- I apparently thought I was going to be independently wealthy when I was 21... I'm okay with watching them win the Finals on TV every year, though.

2023- This is another one where God honored that dream in a unique way. Andrew's family has had season tickets to ODU basketball since he was 2 years old. We've continued getting season tickets every year since we got married, with the exception of 2021 because they were REALLY expensive. We have a tradition where we usually go to eat at Perfectly Frank's before the games, then we go to watch them. Elisha has gone since he was 7 months old and has gotten to have tons of fun experiences like being on the Dance cam, going with the cheerleaders when it's time to dance to "Ice Cream and Cake," and being the ODU Ball Kid.

Goal: Find the man of my dreams and marry him.
Reality: 2010- I know that will happen.

2023- That happened about 5 months after I wrote that blog in 2010. :) I've been married to Andrew for 12 years and I love him so much! We still have fun together and our personalities balance each other out. He's also the only person that I feel comfortable yelling at, which is important for someone as non-confrontational as me. :) No matter what our circumstances are, there's still no one else I'd rather go through this life with than him, except for when he farts too much.

Goal: Possibly being a foster mother.
Reality: 2010- I came very close, but chickened out when I thought about how much responsibility it was. It was also at the time when I realized that I needed to take time to grieve leaving Kentucky and volunteering.

2023- I became a biological mom to Elisha on April 26, 2013. It's a privilege to be the mom to that little boy! He's funny, kind, scatter-brained, creative, friendly, and very extroverted. I didn't know it was possible for a child to come out of me who loves being around people and being the center of attention so much. I love the way God made him! I would still love to be a foster mother, but it would take a lot of convincing for Andrew to agree to it and it wouldn't happen until Elisha had moved out of the house.

Goal: Volunteer at a hospital and play games with the kids who are sick.
Reality: 2010- This didn't happen, but I was Cameron's CASA for 4 years and I wouldn't change that for anything.

2023- This still hasn't happened, but I get to play a lot of games with the kids that I work with.

Goal: Be a sponsor in a youth group and be able to join them for any of their activities.
Reality: 2010- I've helped out with youth group activities at Essential, but not to the extent that I could.

2023- Since Andrew teaches high school, I join him to chaperone some of the school events. My ministry now is working with the babies in the Restore Church nursery and I think those little ones are tops.

Goal: Live in a nice place with a swimming pool.
Reality: 2010- I've lived in 4 places with them.

2023- I lived in one more in 2010-2011, but that's been it since then. We go to Water Country and the beach a lot during the summer, though.

I think everyone should make a list of their goals occasionally because it's really fun to look back and see what's actually happened.