Eleven weeks ago, I declared the following:

In addition to the daily (workday) quotes, I am a publisher of at least one blog post a week for the next 10 weeks.

This is week (and post) #11 since that declaration. Time for a mini-celebration (woowoo!) and a look back.

After a couple of non-starts (Post 1001: The New Ward’s Notes-Who We Are -July 17, 2013 and Jump -January 21st, 2015), I finally ‘relaunched’ the blog with a new commitment. With the publishing of the May 13, 2015 post, Oh my word, I was committing not to only the blog but to something larger: my word.

I made the decision to ‘restart’ the blog and commit to publishing new posts with consistency following the completion of a 3-day self-discovery course. Through the intensive weekend, I recognized how I wasn’t honoring my word in all areas of my life. Further I realized the consequences that not honoring my word, not following through on things I said I wanted to do, was having on my life.

…When your words are declared with intention and then honored through action, all the fruits of that labor begin to appear.

If you’ve ever said to yourself or others that you were going to take up a hobby, or perhaps get fit, eat healthy and lose a few pounds, or you were going to read more, pick up and learn/play an instrument or cook more often or whatever it may have been (New Year’s Resolutions anyone?) then you know what I mean when I say there is a cost in not honoring what you say. There’s a loss of vitality and fun, a loss in the feelings of accomplishment and self-worth. And we brush it off and carry on but when something triggers the memory of the want that we still don’t have, back come those ‘wishful’ feelings.

But when your words are declared with intention and then honored through action, all the fruits of that labor begin to appear. (Even if you find you really don’t want what you thought you wanted in the beginning! But now you know.)

Being completely honest, writing during all 10 of those weeks was not an easy task for me. I wasn’t always even sure what I was going to write about as I sat at my computer! (“Know your outcome” wasn’t rule I followed, a ‘rule’ I picked up from one of the courses recently.) Further, my calendar became extremely busy. I had appointments or obligations nearly every work night. My role at work expanded as I managed and ran several more programs and activities than before, all of which required focus, thought, planning and lots of coordination. I continued to invest time and energy in exercising and keeping myself healthy, at least a little something on most days. I also invested time to be with my wife who fortunately joined me in most of the self-discovery courses and with the exercising. (And we commute together most days too, so that is nice as well!) However, with such a full schedule, most of my posts were unfortunately written over one long evening and made time to research topics a challenge or limited. There was more than one night where my hours of sleep could be not using all my fingers on just one hand.

However, I was committed to honoring the word I declared on that May 13th post. I’ve learned that the energy one needs can often be found when truly needed. And while not continuously giving oneself enough sleep has a list of health challenges, so too does not honoring one’s word.

So today I celebrate a new accomplishment in writing 10 (plus) blog posts in 10 (plus) weeks! How will I celebrate? Well simply acknowledging and sharing this goal achievement will be one way. Perhaps I’ll make a little certificate to remind myself of this little act of perseverance. I mean, why not, right? (A statue might be overdoing it… Ha! 😉

In any event, I want to thank anyone who may have read any or all of the posts and thank those who commented or sent an email. I truly appreciate your sharing.

Please note: Next week I am actually taking a week off from blogging as I’ll be with family back in New England celebrating one of my cousin’s wedding. Barring any technical challenges, the quotes will keep coming but I won’t post another ‘note’ for another two weeks. – Thank you and stay well!