Weekly Inspiration: Plan for a Wonderful New Year!

Happy New Year!! I had good intentions of posting more often this week (and intend to get back to a regular routine in January), but one of my sons was very, very sick and at home with a high fever and terrible sore throat - turned out to be strep throat that wasn't responding well to antibiotics, tonsillitis, an abscess on one tonsil, and maybe mono (though we're not sure of that last one). So, I spent much of my week making him soothing foods that he could swallow (lots of soups, smoothies, and shakes!) and taking care of him. He is now on antibiotic #3 and a short burst of steroids for the tonsils and feeling much, much better - now I'm having trouble keeping him home! lol This coming week, we'll have both sons home part-time plus a birthday plus two family members heading off on trips...so I will probably (realistically) be posting more starting next week!

When I did have time to work this week, I was immersed in my annual process of reviewing the past year and setting goals for the new year. I'm not quite finished reviewing 2018 - the last part left is illness-related - so I will share that with you when I finish and have a chance to set goals for the new year.

You may be thinking that it's impossible for someone with ME/CFS to set goals (or resolutions, though I prefer goals), especially when this past week, all we've heard online and in the media has been about exercising more and resolving to get fit in 2019! But, we can set our own goals, based on our own limitations. For instance, one of my on-going targets is to rest when I don't feel well - listening to my body has always been a challenge for me! Another target I set every year is to try new treatments. Even though my son and I function well most of the time and are in much better shape than we were 5 years ago, these illnesses still rule our lives, so I am always on the lookout for new treatment approaches that might bring another small step of improvement. For some ideas of treatments that you can try, check out my page on Effective Treatments for ME/CFS.

Maybe you want to improve your diet or learn to knit or draw more or try audio books. Your goals will be based on what's important to you and what you want to accomplish.

But how do you actually set and meet your goals? I created my own system that includes measurable targets years ago before I got sick and adjusted that process for my life with chronic illness. This article I wrote for ProHealth, Setting Goals When You Are Chronically Ill, explains all the details with examples to get you started. This is something that anyone can do. You can also look at my post from 2017, My Progress in 2016 and Goals for 2017. I hope to post this year's goals in the next week or so.

Oh, and I forgot to share some VERY good news. My severe crash of the past three months is finally over! Christmas Day was the first day I truly felt good, with no aches or other crash symptoms, and that has continued. It was a matter of treating my Lyme recurrence (details here) and finding the right balance with a new Lyme treatment protocol, plus getting my immune system to settle down. So, I am starting the new year off right, back to my "normal" baseline and able to be a bit active again.

Have you set any goals for the new year? What would you like to accomplish in your own life?