What Is Good Enough?

Posted on November 4, 2025 by hafong

Three days into the new month and I’m feeling I’m failing in so many ways. I wonder if my lack of sleep last night put a slant on my outlook. What do you do when a thought gets into your head and just won’t let go? In my case, it was a technology puzzle. It kept playing in my head and had me tossing and turning. In the end, I had to get out of bed. I made myself a cup of hot chocolate and warmed up some leftovers. Being upright seemed to reset my buttons. Comfort food warmed my belly and relaxed my being. Sated, I was able to sleep.

I realized that I wasn’t going to lose weight the way things were going. For one thing, I cannot give up the cream in my tea/coffee. I tried using skim milk and it tasted terrible. I don’t want to give up snacks altogether. I love an afternoon muffin/cookie, etc. What joy is there in life without cream and snacks? Perhaps I am making excuses but a life without some joy doesn’t feel inviting. Perhaps I have to evaluate my goals and decide what is good enough.

I don’t think I am too terribly overweight. I am not obese by any stretch of imagination. I will change my focus on losing weight to keeping fit and happy, whatever that takes. Right now my goal is taking off a little belly fat. It would be a boost to my self image and health to lose that bulge. For me, it is easier to add more motion and activities than to cut out cream and snacks. What do you think?

BAD HABITS DIE HARD

Posted on November 1, 2025 by hafong

November 1, a new month, a new day. Where am I? I am still lost in the midst of my chaos and clutter. I haven’t given up. I worked myself out of acedia in the month of October. Now that I am no longer wallowing in apathy, I am interested and energized in working my way into some kind of order and clarity. It is not easy as you might have guessed. I have vacuumed the kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. I did it in spurts of starts and stops.

I am in the stop phase, now nursing a cup of decaf. It’s my usual fall-back-on habit so it takes me a long time to do a chore. Bad habits die hard and very slowly. After years and years of this, it is very, very hard to correct. I have to be patient and kind with myself. I have made a start. I have acknowledged my wayward ways. I am dedicating November to work on sorting my paper clutter. This does not mean giving up my other goals of losing weight and piecing my log cabin squares together into a quilt.

My weight loss is nil to minimum. I could lose 1/2 pound one day and gain a pound the next. It is a bit discouraging. I am focusing on staying fit and getting stronger and more flexible. I am focusing on increasing my aerobic workout and maintaining the strength training. I can now do 50 skips at one time jumping rope and run up and down the stairs at the gym 5 times. It’s easier each week. I can aim for 60 skips and 6 times on the stairs on Monday.

I’m piecing 4 quilt squares into a block. I will have 25 blocks in the end. I’m almost there, just 2 blocks left to go. However, I shall stop and have a bit of a rest from everything. My head is buzzing, alerting me that I am over stimulated. I have to drop everything right now.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

Posted on October 30, 2025 by hafong

Here it is, the 2nd last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I haven’t made it here every day. I haven’t done too badly thought, missing only 3 days. It’s not a do or die or I must kind of a challenge. Sometimes life calls. And I had to answer. This business of living is not easy. None of it. I do the best I can. It has to be enough. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

In assessing whether I’ve stayed the course, I showed up 93% of the time. I abided by the rules. Read the 2 posts above mine and commented as best as I could. As to having fun, I wasn’t in the beginning. I struggled for the first few days, not having fun at all. But I warmed up, eventually thawing out and enjoying it all. So I’ve achieved my ultimate goal of working my way out of acedia. I am no longer in ‘a state of listlessness, apathy, and a lack of care about one’s life or spiritual condition‘.

I have achieved my wildest dreams.

Wordless Wednesday – Vision Board – Table

Posted on October 22, 2025 by hafong

Thank goodness for Wordless Wednesday! The 2 goals I set for myself are to lose weight and to clear clutter. Today’s vision board is composed of photos of how I would like my tables to look most of the time – uncluttered and attractive. If I can keep these images in my mind, I’ll be more apt to succeed. Here’s fingers and toes crossed.

Starting and Staying

Posted on September 28, 2025 by hafong

At long last, I’ve made a start at digging myself out from under the many layers of clutter and dust. I can breathe a little better and see a little clearer. I wish I could rid the fruit flies that are buzzing around the kitchen. I’ve taken steps to eliminate them by setting up apple cider vinegar traps. There’s no ripe fruit or tomatoes on the counters. The counters are fairly clean. Still they persist. I wish I was as tenacious as the fruit flies at cleaning and clearing my spaces. I have not been but am working on exercising that particular muscle. Today is another first day of the rest of my life. I am good with words. Let’s see if I am good at my words.

It’s a beautiful sunny but cool Sunday. It’s warming up nicely. It’s a good day to work on things inside and out. I have trays of ceyenne peppers drying in the dehydrator. I’m sipping on tea made from last year’s dried stinging nettle. It’s not exactly delicious but I am detoxing from my caffeine and sugar addiction while making use of stinging nettle leaves I’ve gathered and dried. I’m making a strong start. Let’s see if I have staying power.

I’m good with starting and working small. I am not a super or wonder woman. I’m more of a tortoise than a hare but I can still get there wherever there is. Right now my there is not far. It is within reach. I am not reaching for fame or money. I’m reaching for the ability to feel just a little joie de vivre, to have a sense of meaning of life in this time we are in. I guess it is asking for alot. But if I don’t ask, how will I get it?

July Writing Challenges

Posted on July 1, 2025 by hafong

Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com

July 1, another new day, another new month. The morning is getting on and I’ve been tarrying with my morning tea and reading What My Father and I Don’t Talk About. 16 writers talk about their relationships with their father. It’s so speaks to me right now as I navigate my own journey with my father after the passing of my mother in October of last year. It’s been a difficult journey. Perhaps I will write about some of that during this July’s Ultimate Blog Challenge.

I’ve lost track of time and if not reminded of it by a UBC friend, I would have been late coming to the UBC party. I thought June has 31 days. I hope to show up here every day for July with a new post. I’ve participated for quite a few years. I’ve never planned on what I am writing. I just show up at the keyboard and hope for the best. Mostly it is just about my mundane every day life- moans and groans, gardening, arting and what I’ve been reading.

Perhaps I can make some changes, gives some thoughts and do a bit of planning. I am going to keep it easy and simple. There’s more likelihood of me succeeding if I do. I am happy to be in this writing community to learn and share. Happy writing everyone.

Reboot, Restart

Posted on June 21, 2025 by hafong

A grey drizzling kind of morning. Grateful to have a few of these days lately. Not alot of rainfall but all our water catchments are full. These mornings this spring/summer have been strange. They are still dark at 5/6 am whereas in normal times, I’m awaken by the sunlight already. It is what we have now. There is nothing to do but to carry on.

I made a tour of the greenhouse and garden while waiting for breakfast. The greenhouse is not exactly thriving. No crazy vines climbing to the roof yet. The snowpeas and lettuce were big performers in early spring. The lettuce have been removed for other things. The snowpeas are still performing but the leaves are turning colour. Don’t know whether it is their time or because of aphids. They’ve been causing trouble especially with the peppers and bitter melon. The peppers have made a slow recovery in the raised bed outside. I’m not so sure if I will get any bitter melons this year even though I’ve started and planted new ones. Time will tell.

I’m trying to make small changes in my morning routine to give myself a boost. I’ve stopped writing morning pages. They were not helping. I was focusing too much on my feelings and symptons. I was making deeper ruts to sink in. I see no harm in playing Spelling Bee and Wordle. They are relaxing and maybe exercising my brain a little. I have not been too successful with my goals for June. Not making a regular show on my keyboard might have something to do with it.

Some days are hard and I lose focus. Life is busy. There’s work everywhere. Sometimes I get overwhelmed. I tell myself it’s ok to stop and just hunker down. I just have to remember to push the RESTART button again and again. I’m still on top of the Daisy Yellow Index Card a Day Challenge. I didn’t get very far reading War and Peace but I can get back to it – later.

Goals

Posted on April 11, 2025 by hafong

It is a later morning, Day 11 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. We’re only a third into the month. It’s still a long way to the finish line. It’s still a big challenge. My goal is to finish. The only way to do that is to keep going, keep moving, keep typing, keep on talking, keep on and on…as best as I can. There’s really no easy way. I have to move and work hard.

No two days are equal. Some days are easier and harder than others. I do like challenges and having goals. It’s good to have some inspiration and guidance. Benjamin Franklin’s list of 13 virtues seemed worthy of effort. I would modify them to make them do-able. I do not think I am able to imitate Jesus or Socrates.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
Temperance: Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. waste nothing.
Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes or habitation.
Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Momentum

Posted on May 3, 2024 by hafong

It is the merry month of May though its beginning has been cloudy and cool with rain and snow. I think it is a good beginning. The moisture is much welcomed by me and many others. Though the Ultimate Blog Challenge is over, I still want to come to my writing space to tap out a few words and ideas. I like to keep my fingers and brain limber. Wiyh the UBC still fresh in my mind, habit is the momentum to keep me going at least for awhile.

Every new day and month is an opportunity to begin a new, to change and make new goals and pursuits of what I desire for myself and the world. The world is too big a place to begin so I will begin with myself. On this new day and month, I crave clearness of mind and order in my surroundings. When I think of change I feel the immediate weightiness of what that means. It is difficult to get out of the comfort of my ruts. Comfort feels good and who wants to give that up, eh?

May may not be a month of merriness after all. There’s work to be done for change. I have to suck it up, buckle up and move it to keep the momentum going.

Habits – Making and Breaking

Posted on March 26, 2024 by hafong

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

It seems habits are difficult to make and to break as well. Why is that? I wonder. It’s a difficult and dumb question to ponder after a sleepless night. But who says I’m smart? Not me when I’m still struggling with the same old, same old problem of paper clutter. How many years have I been bitching and whining about it? How many years have I talk about working on it? Yet here I am, still stuck in the same groove. Not only stuck but sinking deeper into the pile.

I have this dread of opening my mail. I don’t know why but I’ve had it for decades. I hate reading and dealing with it. I have learned to open the bills after some expensive late fees. I guess I have taken a few steps forward. Now I’m snowed under with tax receipts and bank statements. The clock is ticking loudly. It’s forcing me to open a few more envelopes and making my head hurt. But it’s good that I’ve started. I have 5 weeks to get my ass in gear.

It’s not that I don’t have a goal or intention. I know what it is I want at the end of the rainbow. I always intend to do better but I haven’t. I think I don’t know how to get there. I’m lacking methodology, clear and concise steps to reach the pot of gold. I’m overwhelmed and lost before I start. The first step I must take is to open the mail when I get it right away. Then go from there. The Ultimate Blog Challenge for April is coming up. I will take the opportunity to work on making good habits and breaking my bad ones. I will open each piece of mail from now till end of April and hope it will stick.

onethousandandtwo

Looking at Infinity

Tag Archives: goals