Now.

Today my real life and bloggy pal Jeannie is blogging over at Indiana’s Family of Farmers.

Jeannie and I go way back. We were blessed to find ourselves as co-workers and friends back in the day and still work together in the ag world today. The ag world is great like that… just sayin’

Truth be told, I hadn’t planned on blogging about Miss Jeannie today and this post will be a complete surprise to her… but she inspired me this week– as she often does– and I had to share.

Lately I have found myself in this state of “stuck” or “stuckdom” if you will…

Heck, who am I kidding… “stuckdom” began back when Puddie left for Georgia back in September…

All I could do is “white knuckle it” through until November… then life would get on track… I would set goals… I would conquer the world…

November came and thank Heaven above it did– but then the fridge flood discovery of 2010 happened soon after and my kitchen has been in some state of disarray ever since… cardboard floors, lots of hard work, dust, no water, hard work, dust, no drain, no storage, dust…um did I mention the dust? So, I buckled down and  “white knuckled it” through the holidays… then life would get on track… I would set goals…. I would conquer the world.

As New Year’s Day and everyone’s fresh outlook and goals took place this year… I sat here with the entire contents of my kitchen in my cluttered living room with my dust and truth be told I am not feeling too resolutioney… just sayin’

Nope.

I am “stuck” in “stuckdom”

And grouchy…

And frustrated…

With myself mainly… I know better than this.

I know that it is my attitude, not my situation that makes my reality…

But back to stuckdom… I once knew a girl who was stuck… and she decided to do something about it.

Miss Jeannie transformed herself— mind, body and soul a little over a year ago.

Miss Jeannie’s post today reminds me to “Start again” and that there is no “New Year’s Resolution Police”.

Exactly what I needed to hear.

I am a goal oriented mama… I firmly believe that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

I need a plan.

Now.

I am gonna be working on that.

Now.

Cause my bet is that there isn’t any Kitchen Remodel Police either (unless ya count me 😉 )… just sayin’

She also speaks to critics today… which is something else I needed to hear…

Anyone who knows me very well, knows I am a total quote junkie… Miss Jeannie is too. And, naturally, she shared some really awesome ones today–including this one from Teddy Roosevelt.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

It struck a chord with me.

I don’t sit by on the sidelines. I am someone who likes to make the change I want to see. This “stuckness” ain’t me… and it definitely ain’t making me happy.

That changes.

Now.

A while back I made a mental commitment that I would never do something (or not do something) just because it was easier. That is not to say I would not choose the easiest way to do something… rather I would not allow it to be the determining factor. From exercise to putting a dish away to taking the time to do something nice for someone. It was a small change, but it was so significant. This change in thinking went away during “stuckdom” or rather “stuckdumb”… but I know it will be the first part of my plan-to-be…

That little commitment made such HUGE differences in my life. It allowed me to constantly evaluate my goals against the “easy factor”… in essence I had my easy button removed and once it was gone I let my goals guide my life and not the easy way out. All of a sudden I was in control.

I want that back.

Now.

So, Miss Jeannie, here I am… starting again.

Now.

So thanks Jeannie. Thank you for being you and thank you for the GOODe Ole kick in the pants I needed today.

If any of my dear readers are still here with me after that long ramble, I encourage you to check out Jeannie’s post and also her regular blog Jeannie’s Gym Journey where she shares inspirational stories and a great Motivational Monday series full of great stuff to keep you on track and motivate you in your goals.