Hey, at least I try to finish things

I learned from Better Than Before that I'm a finisher.  I get a sense of glee from completing a task, whether it's finishing a book or ending a unit that I'm teaching. I run a highlighter through tasks in my lesson plan binder, in my planner, and on my to-do lists.  I like the act of shutting something down and saying DONE.  I do this with leftover food too.  If I can come up with a purpose for the leftovers in the fridge, I feel a real sense of achievement.  Housewives have been doing this for centuries out of necessity but, in this day and age, it seems to be a rarity.

So where am I on all that stuff I've tried to do this year?  Oh, right.  

Well, in January, I did my Yoga Challenge and was pretty successful at it.  I did yoga *almost* every day for the entire month.  Yay for checkmarks.  

In February, I said I was going to read the Bible every day and finish it in a year.  I wrote a whole separate piece about this in a non-blogging word document that I have going, so I'll just give you the highlights.  I want to be the type who reads her Bible every day.  I really do.  I want to have finished it (see, finish) and I want to see if there's something in there I've missed.  Maybe in all my Bible studies and all my years in church, there's a whole book I've somehow skimmed over and it holds the most pertinent information for me.  Maybe I'm not dedicated enough, because I didn't make it very far.  I think to 2 Samuel.  However, this just goes to show that wanting to be the person who Instagrams some Bible reading at 5am isn't enough to be that person.  The best strategy for me is to read for 20 minutes before bed, but I'm much more likely to do that when Scott's around.  Left to my own devices, I'm reading blogs or something while watching reruns on Netflix before bed. 

In March, I set out on the mission of formulating a cleaning schedule.  I followed it for exactly one month.  And then I stopped.  But I tried.  That's what mattered to me.  Effort is better than nothing.  

In April, I readied the garden.  Or, if you're from Pennsylvania, I read up the garden.  And then it was snowing.  And then it was raining.  And then it was hailing.  And then there were constant frost advisories and, as I write this the first week in June, we just had another hail storm.  I'm glad I never got around to planting things.  Nothing bothers a finisher more than wasted effort.

Edited to add...my brother helped me planted some of the necessities: tomatoes, herbs, and a watermelon.  We'll see.  

In May, I attempted #OutfitaDayinMay again.  Last year, though I considered it to be an utter failure at the time, looked successful in comparison to what happened this year.  The first problem I encountered was that it was so cold and rainy all month.  I couldn't wear the fun warm weather clothes I'd planned on adding into the rotation.  Disappointing.  

Secondly, I was doing well and then, on May 19th, I couldn't go to work because my road was flooded and washed out.  So I turned around, went inside, put my pajamas back on, and I wore the exact same outfit the next day because no one saw it on May 19th.  This screwed everything up and, after that, I didn't see the point any longer.  I threw in the towel because my chances at finishing this challenge successfully had been foiled.  Yes, I gave up.

For June, I'm attempting the #bloggersgetsocial #JunePhotoADay on Instagram.  So far, so good.

In the realm of fitness and what I'm doing these days, I'm still sticking to my Pilates calendar. Very solidly, I may add.  And I'm seeing results too so this is proof that you don't need intense cardio or expensive yoga classes to be toned and limber.  I am prouder of sticking to this calendar (though some days have been shifted here and there!) than I am of completing any other self-appointed challenge this year.

So, what do you do?  Are you a finisher?  Are you a starter?  Do you feel guilty if you take something on and give up?