Five Minute Friday: Ten

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is ten. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

Ten years ago I was a crazy and stupid fifteen year old. I spent a majority of my time running and training for cross-country and track. I was obsessed. Among other things, I spent my life focused on me and my independent progress through life and pursuit of my own short term goals. I had little regard for my long term future and lived fully in the moment.

There is a lot that I had yet to learn at fifteen, but there are some things I did to help set me up for a successful, healthy lifestyle. I made sure that exercise was a part of my daily routine. I ran a minimum of three miles a day with some days running upwards of eight or nine miles. I ate fairly well, and maintained a steady, healthy weight.

At fifteen I was a new Christian. I began setting the foundation for my faith at that age and did so by attending a church and youth group regularly. I plugged myself in to a fellowship of believers around the same age as myself and I set myself up for success in this area in the future. Ten years later I am involved in the church we belong to and have plugged my family in to a cLife group at our church which is a group that meets in homes weekly.

As I look to the future me I have some long term goals for myself. In ten years I will be thirty-five. Here are ten goals for the next ten years!:

1. to be happily married as we celebrate our 14th anniversary

2. to gain wisdom and patience as I prepare to raise a teenager (Ari will be nearly 13)

3. to have one or two additional children

4. to maintain a steady workout routine of three or more days a week

5. to earn my Master’s Degree

6. to submit a manuscript to a publishing company and get published!

7. to raise my children to be involved in church and to give them opportunities to encounter Jesus for themselves

8. to travel to Italy or France (or both!)

9. to go on a cruise

10. to visit the west coast of America

I think it is a great practice to reflect on and set goals. My goals are constantly evolving as I change and progress as an individual. I try to evaluate my long term goals every New Year. I look at the progress I’ve made toward each goal and how I can better achieve the results I’m seeking for myself.

What do you hope to accomplish in the next ten years?