Setting goals is on going.  Sometimes i reach the goal and sometimes i make it half way more or less; and what feels like most of the time, I do not reach the goal but only frustrations.    Just a few of the big isssues are:  I am not able to drive,  I am legally blind,  my right side is weak and have trouble understanding numbers.I counter these with asking friends for help with errands.  My goal is to at least get out of the house once a week.  I do well of mind if i can get out twice a week.    ONe of my goals is to paint most days or dabble in my art room.   I exercise at least three times a week with a friend to help strengthen my body and help my balance with practicing tai chi. I had set a goal of being well in a year.  we now are laughing at that idealistic idea. and it makes me sad too.  So i reset the goal and gave myself another year.  At year two i realized I am only half well.  So looks like i will give myself another year off to 'Island time".   From what i pick up on the boards recovery takes 5-10 years just to get over the worst of the trauma.   I am active in my healing.  I encourage my body and mind to find ways to heal, adapt, and find a path in this new way of living.  I painted before my accident and it is the one thing I try to hold on to.  I paint very different now; and i have had to accept that.   I reward myself for accomplishments.  Just little things.  a pair of socks, a couple of flowers, a tablet of special water color paper, a toy,  a cat toy, flower seeds,....  Right now i have a bottle of vitamins i have to take. I am having a very hard time making myself take them.  So when i finish the whole bottle I get to order a hoard of art supplies.  I am more motivated! smiles.  Goal setting is meant to help me be successful.  I set myself up to have a successful meeting of my goals.  And many times the outcome is not what I had planned but what happens; i have to accept what happens at the end;  that one was just practice.  I may have to practice many times to get the results i want.   I remind myself of the story of Edison who created a long lasting light bulb.   He spent over 50 years tying to make it; it tryined over 3000 fliments to find one that would burn long enough to produce a lasting light source. How many times to i try something just once and give up because I did not do it well enough on the first try.  Being good at life takes practice. Recently I tried to knitt a scarf and I was determeind to make it and do a good job it.  I had to start it over 8 times before i finally was able to get it right.   Ran out of yarn and had to get more then, Once i was half way through the scarf and messed up majorly and had to start all over.  I keep reminding myself I have not even tried 100 times yet.   As it turned out I had success at the eighth go of it.  I totally gave my mind and attention to the scarf and making  each stitch.  I got the power of I am going to do this no matter what it takes.   It has been a good lesson and I am so proud of the scarf.  It was so hard to make and so worth it.   Just trying to count for the sake of relearning to count is for the birds.  So i found a way to make counting important to me.  I like to crochet.  Have to be able to count the stiches.  I started with a small project that required only counts of three. Then i worked on a project that only required counting to 30.   I have counting to 30 down.  Now I am working on counting to 50 with another project that I really really want to do.   I know living with a tbi is hard; everyday is a challange added to the already challagne of living.  I get tired of being creative in every situation to have to make things work out;  But at the same time it makes the impossible possible.    Hang in there.  Try something new this week.  Do something for yourself this week; and buy yourself a little something speical that makes you smile.