It was my nickname. And I hated it. Wrong Way J was what they called me when I was 13…after I made a mistake on the basketball court. It was right after half-time in a close game against a rival team and the crowds cheered us on. The ball was inbounded and an opposing player pressured me for the ball. I dribbled free…down the court…unopposed…and proudly made a layup. IN THE WRONG BASKET.

It was right after half-time. Cut me some slack.

I still think of Wrong Way J and work really hard to avoid her mistakes. Not just on the court, but in life. Last Sunday–after realizing it was the end of July–I decided to take some time and reflect on my year thus far. Afterall, it was a half-way point. Am I working toward my goals? Are there things I can improve on? How can I shake things up? Will I ever learn to put my shoes in the closet?

Here are a few things I can improve on:
*Making more time for my family…I really love my dad and sometimes I feel guilty for not taking him out as much as I'd like to.
*Staying on top of wedding submissions and personal relationships with editors/contributors.
*Saying no. This is a complex notion and will likely turn into a different blog post altogether, but I need to use those two letters more often.
*Investing in being creative. Both time and money wise.
*Increase my volunteer efforts.

There are many other things I listed, but the point is that I placed efforts in creating change. And analyzing my faults. I hope when I revisit this post in December 2010, I'll notice a distinct change and a positive reaction to my efforts.