2015- The Year of Sue

2015 is my ‘Year of Sue’. The Middle is one of my favorite shows. It is about a middle class American family surviving and thriving in a small American town. The middle child, Sue, is a dreamer always trying to find her place in life.  She makes a goal, pursues it, usually fails epically, and tries something else.  This season she started her Senior year of high school and she proclaimed it to be the ‘Year of Sue’.  It is her year to make big things happen and begin her journey into adulthood and being awesome.  The Year of Sue is her time to shine.

When 2015 started, I jumped feet first onto the New Year’s Resolution band wagon and found myself considering different parts of my life I could improve on. By the time I finished my list, I realized there was a lot of things that needed some fine tuning. My list turned into more of a brainstorming map from 5th grade Ready Writing with lots of circles and lines.  I wanted to be a better wife, mother, Christian, find a church, read my Bible, pray more, get fit, run a 5K, improve our finances, pay off debt, build a savings, clear clutter in our house, be more organized, contribute more at work, etc.  I decided instead of picking one thing to work on, my goal would be to be a better version of myself.  2015 would be my Year of Sue.

One of the most interesting things I have learned in these four short months is that all of those things are intertwined. They are not the separate entities I envisioned when I started, but one  beautifully tangled garden that feed off of each other. If I water one, the rest of them grow. Now I have to say that my life before this year started already had the framework of the American Dream.  I have the most wonderful, loving, and supportive husband. We have two beautiful, healthy, and smart kids. We purchased our first home last year. I work a job that after almost three years, I still looking forward to going everyday. I have a handful of really great friends that are more like family. I really could have just sat on that cloud and been content forever. But I wanted more. I wanted to be a better version of myself for all of these people that make my life worth waking up for each day.  I wanted to know how it feels to be at a healthy weight and feel good about myself, to be debt free, to live with less stress, and find my place with God again.

When I started this journey, I made lots of lists. I’m a list maker. I have lists for my lists to help me remember what is on my lists. That’s how I roll. My brain is a busy place, always running, always thinking of things I need to do, forgot to do, and want to do.  I have learned that making lists help me to get things out of my head and give my brain a break.  So that is where I started, I made my list and hit the ground running towards being a better me.  Starting this blog is part of that mission. I write it not only to help me keep track of my journey, but also in hopes that someone else might find something worthwhile along the way that will inspire them to be a better version of themself as well. Love someone. Encourage someone. #livethelifeheinspired