Welcome back to “The Little Blog Who Could”. I’m your host Putting Words Down Peter.

Sorry, that’s the introduction of a TikToker who makes all these weird recipes, then samples his own word. An example, he put mini-Starburst in a coffee maker, then filled the water reservoir up with tequila. It made a pretty mixture, and both he and the person who originally made the video claim it’s like drinking Starburst. He starts his video out with “Welcome to Willy Wonka and the Alcohol Factory. I’m your host, Umpa Lompa Earl.”

#Ihavequestions

As you should! While I have my doubts, dude’s introductions are on point! 🙂

Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve written, and that’s both by design, but yet not. Concentration has not been my friend lately, so I’ve found it painful to sit down and try to write. Not sure where that is coming from, but it’s a thing right now. I’ve got ideas. I’ve got things going on. Heck, I’ve got tea to spill. But to put it on the screen, it just isn’t happening for whatever reason. Right now, I’m writing before school starts in hopes I can finish this before the bell rings. After school, I was triple booked (one meeting, one “study club”, and one taking tickets at a basketball game), so I wouldn’t be getting home until 5:45 at the earliest. So, how are you doing? 🙂

#gettothepointman

Yes, yes, yes, the point. I’ve gone back through some of my little words (balance, perseverance, thankful, etc) and honestly, they are pretty good. And I think I’ve been good at following the spirit of the word as well. I read through those blogs and I like what I see, both in words and in myself. I’ve worked on balance, sometimes more successfully than others, but I’ve been very conscious about that work/life balance the last few years. I do more “stuff” and not as much school. I had someone tell me that a teacher should spend 60 hours a week on school stuff. Younger me would have jumped up and said “YES”. Older me, not so much. That’s 20 hours of unpaid time that could be spent on hobbies, bettering myself, or something OTHER than school. Now, do I think teaching can be done in a 40 hour work week, I have my doubts, but I also know that balance is needed for our own well-being. I’ve put in the work to persevere through things, both good and not so good. And each day, I make the bed in the morning for the first win of the day, something I am thankful for. All of these words have had an impact, which is the whole point I know! 🙂

This year’s word I feel is needed because of all the other stuff I’ve written about in the last few months: low motivation, lack of focus, and just feeling stuck where I’m at right now. Currently, I have about 7 years (give or take) until I can retire, and if that is truly the case, I need to feel better about life moving toward that end-point in my career.

So, my one little word for 2023 is reset.

Resets in my own health, not that I’m unhealthy. I’m part of another health challenge this January, just to get my eating habits back where they need to be. Teaching is hard, and when we jump to the “easy” foods, they usually aren’t good for us. Between the stress of teaching, the fact I eat like a 15 year old boy, and that I’ve a sweet tooth for days, I’ve not been healthy. Resetting that need for better habits and 30 minutes of movement a day has been good. Next month is our Ironman Challenge and March is the Slice of Life Challenge, all good resets.

Resets in attitude are needed. I feel stuck, frozen, and not feeling good about many things. The problem, there’s a lot of good going on around me. My parents are relatively healthy and able to do many things they love to do. My daughters are both moving forward with life. My brother and his family are doing great things. Yet, I focus on those things I cannot change: the attitude about educators, the fact I have little control in many things, the voucher program being presented in our state house, social media tomfoolery, all of it plays way too much in my own head, and affect my attitude of the people around me. A good reset would do my mind and mental health good.

Resets with summers. Last summer was kind of a bust. We’d bought a camper and big plans. Well, then I had two weeks of coding class in June, my wife starting writing curriculum in July, and suddenly the summer was gone. We’ve already pledged to each other that this upcoming summer will be different. I’ve ordered tourist information from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, along with looking at a camping trip to Door County in Wisconsin. Our summers are precious, and they won’t be used for things that are not bettering us. The word we did last summer was good, but it kept us from doing what we want to do. Not at anymore. Plus, with upgraded phones, we each have the ability to connect and work on the road, which could open some interesting options for us!

Reset. You do it with your phone. You do it with your computer. Why can do it with your life? I’d love to see what joy that can found with some resets in place.

Who knows, maybe we find that working on the road is better than working in school?

Then, there’d be a BIG reset that would have to take place.

But that is for another day!

#promisespromises