The first goal is to increase my level of physical activity, and thus my fitness. I'm hoping to play netball at least once a fortnight at school (if we play every week that will be even better, but that depends on other people being available so I'll hope for every fortnight). I've played once, and it was fun, even if I'm not very good. I'm also going to be monitoring my activity levels, having invested some gift money in a fitness tracker. I specifically wanted one that would keep track of the stairs I climb, since I do a fair bit of that at school, and ended up getting one that I can wear swimming if I decide to get back in the water. So to make that goal more specific and measurable I'm aiming for 10,000 steps a day and 20 flights of stairs. So far I've done very well, but then I did have a very active day today. Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed taking a walk in Lumpini Park, where I snapped a few photos of the beautiful orchids in the picture below.
Today I decided to give my budget a break and get some exercise and fresh air. Well, I'm not sure the air was totally fresh, but I definitely got the exercise, along with a lot of other people. One thing I hadn't done here in Bangkok was to visit the zoo, so this morning I hopped on the skytrain and went as far as Victory Monument (see photo above), from where my sources indicated I could take a local bus to get to the zoo, or I could walk (not recommended by the sources). According to my map, it is about 2 kilometres, so I decided to take a walk. It felt a lot longer than that, but I made it, and then after waiting a while to get a bus, for which the number of waiting passengers seemed every increasing, I decided to do the return walk as well. According to my activity tracker I walked 12.36km today!
Now when I was in Singapore a few years back I visited the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari, and the Bird Park, and thoroughly enjoyed all three. Probably helped by the fact that I had company for the Zoo and the Night Safari, but I also think my experience there spoiled me a little for today's experience. Nonetheless I did enjoy taking in some of God's amazing creations. I have to admit to thinking that God really does have a sense of humour. After all, just have a look at some of the birds I saw.
I also know that He loves to show us beautiful things, and I was privileged to enjoy the display put on by one of the peacocks today. I got photos from both in front and behind, and the difference is fascinating. From the back, everything is brown, but from the front (and side) the colours are spectacular.
I couldn't resist checking out the Australian section of the zoo, where I was delighted to see some fresh looking eucalypts. I also saw some sleepy koalas, a sleeping wombat and a pair of cassowaries.
Here are a few more of the amazing creatures God has placed in this world. Sadly so many are at risk of extinction, thanks to humans either destroying their habitats or killing them for "medicinal" benefits. That's not a goat in the top right of the next photo, it's a Sumatran Serow.
Finally, another example of God's amazing imagination. I mean to say, how many people do you know who would design a creature like these giraffes. They are amazing in that they are perfectly designed for the environment in which He placed them in.
The second goal I've set is something I've set myself a number of times but not yet accomplished. This year, I'd like to read the whole Bible. Now, given the amount of reading that I do, it really shouldn't be that hard, but it is something that requires commitment to doing a portion every day. Back when I first got my Kindle I invested in a copy of the Bible that is set up to help me do exactly that. It's called "Grace for the Moment Daily Bible" and is in my favourite easy read version (New Century Version). Each day has a short devotional comment, a passage from the Old Testament, a passage from the New Testament, a passage from Psalms and a passage from Proverbs. So far I've been reminded of God's creation, man's failure, and God's plan in the sending of His Son. What a great way to start the year. I'm hoping I can stick with it, but know that God's grace will be sufficient for me if I don't get there.
The third goal is a fairly important one, and if I can accomplish it, it will help me accomplish the other two goals. Over the last few years I've found social media taking up a fairly large chunk of time. This year I want to reduce that time to no more than 30 minutes a day. That should allow me to keep in touch with those that I want to keep in touch with, without wasting time that could be better spent doing other things.
Aside from that, I've got a pile of professional reading to complete, and I hope to do some short courses in specific areas as well. I've been asked to consider an additional role at school, which I'm thinking about seriously. Maintaining a good work/personal life balance isn't easy for a teacher, but I hope that, in His strength, I can do better at that this year.
What about you? Have you set goals for 2017? I'd love you to share if you have.
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