As promised, I’ve been thinking about ways to create joy in my life. I want to focus not just on passive things that make me happy, but also habits and actions that I know will bring me closer to my best life.
Organization
I used to get up every morning and make lists for the day. Nothing makes me happier than a good journal/calendar. After I got cancer, one of the worst side effects (for me) has been chemo brain. It is next to impossible to remember things or focus on anything for more than two minutes. I am having trouble with comprehension, recall and just general problem solving. I haven’t been making lists because it is hard for me to write them and even harder to follow through. I want to rectify that and this post is a step in the right direction.
Short Term Goal
Post on the blog more often. Try using Post-It notes for lists so that I can add single items when I think of them instead of staring at a blank piece of paper.
Long Term Goal
Find a planner that I really like before the new year. Get it set up and write in it every day. Make it part of my morning routine so that I can start training my brain to work again. So far, I really like this one but am open to suggestions.
Looking Up
I love the sky. It is every changing, but always beautiful. There are no expectations, just acceptance of what is. My house is located in the city, and we don’t have much of a view. It is frustrating to see only a small patch of sky. I can feel myself getting more and more depressed. I need to look outside of myself and remember the beauty that is all around.
Short Term Goal
Walk outside. Look up. Every day. I take my medicine every morning and every night, so I am going to try and watch the sunrise and sunset from my porch.
Long Term Goal
Get in the car and go. Go chase that storm. Watch the sunset from a hill outside of town. Take an early morning drive and watch the sun rise over the lake. Stop making excuses.
Travel
I love a good road trip. My favorites are national/state parks and kooky tourist attractions. There is something about travel that makes you grateful for home. The beauty of nature and the creativity of humans are two things that always inspire me. Right now, travel is hard. I don’t feel well and need to stay close to my doctors. We have a primitive cabin on some land a couple of hours away, but I haven’t been there since my diagnosis. The thing I’m most worried about is the lack of running water and a bathroom. I need to find a way to balance my health with activities that I enjoy.
Short Term Goal
Since walking is hard for me right now, I am going to try going for drives with my husband. There is a lot of beautiful scenery around Las Cruces and no reason not to see it.
Long Term Goal
I will be done with chemo the first week of January. I will need a month or two to recover and start feeling better. My husband’s birthday is in March so I want to plan a road trip for the two of us.