Happy Goal Setting Day! {Part 2!}

So, I did my traditional browsing of old resolutions before writing this. I had been thinking about posting them, but it was honestly too embarrassing! I should have, because 2013 was my 10 year anniversary of setting goals and resolutions faithfully every year. But no, I couldn't bring myself to share the thoughts of my 18 year old brain. (Yikes.) By the way, this is the same fear that I have about writing a book. And even a blog. I am terrified that I will publish something for all the world to see and then I will look back in 10 years and think, "What an idiot!"

So, anyway, I didn't accomplish as much in 2013 as I had hoped. I did work on some things that I think were the most important, so I count that as success. But I am definitely hoping to reach some more goals in 2014.

A few things I did in 2013 that I'm pretty proud of...

1. My plan was to read 24 books- two per month- and I started out strong, then got pretty busy. And watched too much TV. :) I did read 16, though, and I am still in the middle of 3. I include audiobooks in that, because sometimes that's the only way to get it in.

2. I do feel like I  more time and effort into my friendships, which was a big desire of mine. I feel like with the busyness of adult life, I forget that this is important.

3. I kept in touch with several of my girls who I worked with and really tried to invest more in their lives. Being in the system is no joke, and kids need a lot of support. Consider being a mentor!

4. I started blogging consistently again in October. I feel like I lost a lot of ground and momentum when I stopped for a while, but I'm excited about the new direction I am taking.

5. I completed several project goals and financial goals in 2013, and I'm looking forward to some more in 2014!

And here are some things I'd like to do in 2014...

1. Read 24 books this year- 2 per month!

2. De-clutter: Take a 156 Things Challenge. That's getting rid of 3 things per week that we don't need! I would imagine that some weeks it will be more and some weeks it will be less.

3. Join the gym with hubby and actually go to it. Seriously, it has to happen. I am so out of shape.

4. Focus on my relationships with God, the hubs, my friendships, and my girls.

5. Blog weekly, commit to my writing, focus on building readership, continue learning about design.

6. Commit to a cash budget for our spending categories other than gas, bills, and savings.

7. Seriously consider going back for my Master's degree. I'm not ready to make actually starting it a goal, but I want to weigh all my pros and cons and see what it will cost and require. Also, I would need to decide on a major for it.

So, I think that's it for me this year...I don't want to make a huge list and bite off more than I can chew. I want to commit to things that I can actually accomplish and work on in my life. What are some goals that you're setting this year?

Happy Goal Setting Day! {Part 1!}

I have said it before, and I will say it every year- New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday. Not because of the champagne and the parties, no. The truth is, over the years there has been more than one holiday get together where I was secretly thinking the entire time about how I couldn't wait to get away and curl up with my fresh new journal page and juicy new colored pens to ring in the new year with my beautiful, shiny new lists...

That's right- New Year's Resolutions!!! I love them. I usually way overreach and keep about half. Or less. But I actually do try. I have put a lot of thought into them over the years, and I really do take the time to review periodically throughout the year of said resolutions. So for those unscientific reasons, I consider myself something of an expert. Also, it has become tradition for me and my college best friend to debate the merits of having "vague" goals, such as "work out more" over specific and measurable goals, such as "work out daily," every year for the past 10 years. So, here's to year 11 of her husband and I ganging up to drive her insane with our vagueness! (Our argument is that we can look back and feel that we did a good job "being better" at something, without actually measuring it. It's a failing argument that won't sell any self- help books, but I'm sticking to my guns.)

She will be happy to know that I am going to try to be more specific this year. Mainly because I am going to try to stay accountable here on the blog. (Maybe one vague goal could be "try to stay accountable on the blog...")

Sometimes I even like to take a sacred day and pour over all of my old journals and resolution lists and think about how far I have come. (Yes, it's that serious for me.)

On a less neurotic and more serious note, I believe it really is good to look back. Some goals and dreams and plans that I had did not come to fruition that year. Or the next. Some took time, and a lot of it. Some things are an ongoing journey in my life. I am also able to identify patterns in my life and work on them in a more productive way.

For example, when I looked back one time over several past years of journals, I noticed that every year I would write, "Be more organized." Now, those who know me know that organization isn't exactly something that I struggle with. I'm pretty stinkin' attentive to detail and organization. Even when I am messy and neurotic, I am organized. What I was really dealing with was perfectionism. I was good, but I wanted to be way better. I wanted to not just be organized, but perfect. I wanted to have it together. The real goal needed to be to let go of perfectionism and use my gift of organization that I already had to live a more full life. (That's still vague, I know.)

So, anyway- it's good to remember where you've been. Not just to track progress on goals, but to keep you humble and compassionate. Looking back at goal lists always winds up leading to reading through those old journals. Oh yikes. The years between 17 and 27 were good years for me to keep a record. They do, indeed, remind me of where I have been. I have been depressed, and in bad relationships, and floundering. I have made terrible choices over and over. I have been a hot mess. And He has pulled me up. Set my feet on more solid ground. It's good to revisit those years from time to time. It reminds me not to be so frustrated with those who have not yet done the hard, painful work of healing and self-awareness. Those who have not yet allowed Him to change their choices, and patterns and neuroses. :) It's easy to lose sight of your past when you feel like you are doing well. It's also easy to forget that you didn't do it on your own by making awesome New Year's Resolutions. He has shown me grace and given me a hope and a future.

So....my goals will be announced in Part Two.:)

My Goals for 2012

Here are my resolutions for the year! What are yours?

My 2012 Resolutions

Personal Development

1. Read at least one book per month

2. Take a cooking class

3. Get better at golf

Health & Fitness

1. Exercise 2X per week

2. Lose at least 10 lbs.

3. Focus my cooking on low glycemic foods, lowering our animal byproduct intake, and using more organic ingredients when possible and affordable

Money & Finance

1. Pay down $7,000 of our debt

2. Get my grocery budget down to $40/week

3. Keep a $1000 emergency fund all year

Spirituality

1. Have a consistent devotional life

2. Be more kind in my speech

3. Get more involved with ministry at church

Home & Projects

1. Start recycling

2. Scan ALL old family photos & put on CD’s

3. Cover the couches

Business & Career

1. Restart bookselling with a focus on Etsy & antiquarian books

2. Stay on a consistent, daily blog schedule

3. Take a business or accounting class

Fun & Recreation

1. Get another tattoo

2. Go camping

3. Take a trip with Mike

The Greatest Holiday for Those Afflicted with OCD

I am a compulsive list maker in all areas of my life. List making can calm me down when my thoughts are racing, and they help me stay on task and organized. I like to think that I am a pretty productive person, and this is due in large part to methodically making and following my lists. I also love goals. Put these two things together, and they make New Year's Eve this girl's favorite holiday. I actually remember sneaking off for some alone time on New Year's in order to make my lists. Every year I look forward to buying a new planner, starting a new journal, reflecting on the goals I reached in the past year, and creating a new set of resolutions. (I'm a nerd, I know.)

In 2011, I only set two goals, because I had just gotten engaged Christmas of 2010. I knew I didn't need to set myself up for failure by listing off a million things I'd like to do. My goals were to work toward more spiritual discipline and my relationship with God, and also to pay cash for our wedding and honeymoon.

We did indeed pay cash for our wedding and honeymoon! (You can read about the beginning of our financial journey here!) I don't know how much I really grew in my relationship with God. To be honest, I felt very caught up in the stress of the wedding and everything that goes along with that, and with work. It will be a goal again this year, and I would truly love to feel like I have grown by this time next year.

This will be my 10th year creating New Year's Resolution lists, and I am so happy that I kept every one of those lists! I love pulling them out and browsing through them every year. Sometimes it gives me some ideas for things to go back and try again...and sometimes they just make me laugh. 

I am notorious for making lists of goals that are incredibly long and possibly overwhelming. I know a better choice would be to narrow it down to some practical, achievable, and measurable things. And honestly, most of my goals are. But I also like to throw in some random stuff, and see if I try it!

This year I would like to set goals within categories. (Yes, my neurotic behavior has gone to the next level.) Here is a pretty extensive list of "Life Categories" that I found in this article. I don't know if I will be using every category, but this should help me organize the goals I am working on. (Coming soon!)

1) Artistic/creative
2) Career
3) Community
4) Family
5) Financial
6) Fitness
7) Friends
8) Fun
9) Health
10) Learning/intellectual
11) Living environment
12) Personal relationships
13) Psychological
14) Recreation
15) Spiritual