Happy New Year!!!
2014 included starting a new blog, saying goodbye to sweet Poppy, turning 30, and finding out I was pregnant with a little GIRL. Those things, of course, felt/feel big; but, really, this year has been pretty ordinary. We didn’t have any major changes in our life and, honestly, it was nice… I’m thankful for the normalcy of our life right now – dinner around the table with my boys, a job I continue to love, a babysitter who is more like family, chatting with neighbors and watching kids play in the front yard, coffee and walk dates with old friends and new, dreaming about the future with my husband, wedding planning with my mom and sister, etc. etc. etc. Those are the good things in life, and I’m grateful for the chance to reflect on them today.
As I look ahead to 2015, I predict it will be more a year of transition. In the past, these stages of have been really hard for me. My Type A personality doesn’t love change. But, this year, I feel more ready. While I still have a long way to go, I feel like I know myself better, know more about who I am, where I am going, and what matters in my life. My heart feels full today with anticipation and a hope that God has already gone ahead of us. I am up for the challenge!
With that in mind…
One of the best books I’ve read in recent years (I think it was technically read in 2013) has been Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine of www.moneysavingmom.com. In it, she challenges readers to create a “Best Stuff List” where they actually write out their priorities (in order) and use it as a filter through which they run everything else (obligations, ideas, etc.) through. I wrote my list shortly after I finished reading the book (a little over a year ago), and it has been in the front of my “everything binder” ever since. However, I really haven’t used it the way I intended/wanted to… SO, these last two weeks, I’ve taken some time to revise the list (it didn’t change very much) and am going to use it more regularly and intentionally in 2015.
This year, I don’t necessarily want to do more or be more productive (I know better); but, I do want to set realistic goals that will keep me focused on what matters most in my life and help me avoid the trap of “all or nothing” that can paralyze me and keep from doing anything when my list feels too long or life feels too busy/hard/etc. I love The Tiny Twig’s “Goals with Grace” link-up every month because her emphasis is on SIMPLE goals that are approached with a “heaping dose of grace for when ‘life gets in the way.'” That seems right up my alley. 🙂
For 2015, using my “Best Stuff List” (which has eight categories), I hope to write out and share my goals with you at the beginning of each month (for added accountability and because who doesn’t love a good link-up?) and report back at the start of the next month on my progress… You can expect to see the same eight categories in the same order each month (I think), and many of the goals themselves will not change from month to month either. Ultimately, I’m hoping this will help me focus my time, energy, and heart on the things that really matter in my life… I invite you to follow along and do the same if you want!! So, here we go…
January 2015 Goals:
1. My Spiritual Life: Complete the She Reads Truth John Study (24 days)
2. My Marriage: Spend more time talking/hanging out and less time on our computers in the same room. Go on at least one official date.
3. My Kids: Spend at least thirty minutes of focused time playing with Sam every day. (Does this make me sound terrible? It’s the “goal” I’m most embarrassed to have to set, for sure; but, the truth is, “play” is hard for me. I’m much better at “do” or “go.” Anyone else?) ALSO, get Sam to bed earlier!!
4. My Health: Make good decisions about the food I am eating, exercise at least three times a week, and treat myself with kindness.
5. My Calling/Career: Catch up (& stay caught up) on all grading at school, & make a good start on maternity leave plans.
6. My Relationships: Invite one couple over for dinner. Schedule a coffee date with a friend I haven’t seen in a while.
7. My Home: Finish Sam’s bedroom and the nursery. Organize all baby stuff. (Admittedly this is a lofty goal, but time is of the essence right now with this stuff… We’ll see how it goes!)
8. My Hobbies/Creativity: Set goals for blog (using The Blog Planning Kit) and implement some regular weekly and monthly routines and features. (More on this tomorrow!)
Alright, there you have it! If you’re sharing your goals for January (or 2015 in general) on your blog, I’d love to see them… Please post a link in the comments!
Welcome to 2015 friends! It’s going to be a GREAT year!
E
I can’t tell you how many times I read one if your posts and think you’ve read my mind, like the feeling I get in church when the pastor’s sermon is clearly about me! 😉 Anyway, as I read your goals, I felt that way yet again. I found myself thinking about the same goals in the same order with the only difference being that I don’t blog but would like to find a way to do something creative regularly. By the way, I’m a Clemson grad and a high school English teacher. (The struggle is real for #5!) Happy 2015!!!
I love the way you have broken these down into specific categories. I am not particularly good at transition either — I am much too much of a control freak. Let me know how I can encourage and pray for you as you pursue your goals! We have a lot of them in common!