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