OK Hive, What going to change in 2010? (Realistic Goals, please!)

[Hedgehogs4]

I really don't believe in New Years Resolutions because they are long lists of unrealistic aspirations, and they they rarely last more than a week. BUT, i do think that if you take one thing and really commit to changing it, success is more likely.

 

I'm sitting here today with the worst cold I've had in years, so I will have time to follow the hive all day if I like. I plan to sit here in my PJs, drink hot tea, and hear what you ladies really want to commit to in 2010.

 

For me, I have a couple of goals that I've been genuinely planning for and am all set to pursue:

 

1) Work through the novel section of the Well-Educated Mind. I have started Don Quixote, but the holidays took over. Will get back at it ASAP (maybe even today, if my mind is clear enough).

 

2) I want to start milling my own flour, and I know what mill I want to buy. I will also start using more organics and home-grown produce in my meal preparation. We have identified a raw milk source and will be buying a cow share.

 

3) I want to run / walk a 5 K, and improve my golf game.

 

Your turn!

Edited December 27, 2009 by Hedgehogs4
Stink! I posted then saw my typo in the subject line! How embarassing!

[Trixie]

Finish all of the books on my "To Be Read" shelf before borrowing any new books from the library or buying any additional ones.

 

Hah.

[angela in ohio]

Dh and I are committed to returning to the healthy diet we were doing so well with before life got in the way this past year. I am spending the next week donating the food we are not going to need anymore and filling the pantry with the right food. :001_smile:

 

I am going to get everything finished in the next two weeks to teach my class for the next several months, as that will free up time to be more consistent with my 7 yo's schooling.

 

I am going to be more deliberate with 13 yo dd's cooking and home management training. She has learned everything our home has to offer in cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc., so I am going to start working through some more formal material with her to stretch her (and me) beyond that.

[HollyDay]

1. improve my overall health: increased flexibility (more Pilates), better eating, more time outside in the sunshine

2. use up my yarn stash (not buy any more until done!!)

3. learn to make stars, pinwheels, triangles for my next quilt

4. read more

[OnTheBrink]

1) Get back to exercising and eating better. I did so well last year until June, then it just died out.

 

2) Read more.

 

3) Improve housekeeping habits.

 

4) Look for a part-time job.

[NCW]

Great idea!

And a good place for me to post this - one of my goals is to spend less time on the internet! I'm also planning to start riding bicycle again regularly - would love to do one of those multi-day rides, or at least a couple of weekend tours. String up the loom and make a project with the kids.

[TXMary2]

Health: Re-start my quest to lose 100 pounds. 95 to go.

 

Home: Convert all cardboard storage boxes to Rubbermaid bins to maximize storage space. Will be doing a garage sale from all the stuff I find in the attic while doing said re-organizing.

 

Wealth: Pay off DH's truck. Buy in bulk. Stockpile by CVS'ing.

 

School: Keep on keeping on!

[Old Dominion Heather]

- Wash a load of laundry a day.

 

- run a 5k by spring

 

- go camping more with my boys.

[patchfire]

I'm going to run again. This isn't as straightforward as it sounds; I ran track in high school for two years and then one of my knees started being chronically painful. I've never discovered a cause. When I go to the chiropractor once a month, though, it doesn't hurt in everyday life. So I'm going to start running again, and plan to go to the chiropractor as much as needed.

 

I'm also revamping our eating schedule. The kids, especially ds, eat too much snack and not enough meal. Even though the snacks are healthy, I really want to get out of that habit.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Diet - drink 8 glasses of water a day, eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day, monitor portion sizes

 

Heath - go to a new doctor

 

Exercise - find an exercise I can do with the help of the new doctor

 

House - go through one room a week, decluttering, then come around a second time for some rooms

 

School - keep on swimming, keep on swimming, keep on swimming. . .

 

Hobbies - keep plugging on teaching myself to play the piano. keep on sewing since I've discovered that I enjoy it and am good at it.

[Karen in CO]

???? What? Is almost 2010 already? Wow.

Okay. Next year. I will make sure the New Year doesn't sneak up on me!

[Tammyla]

I'm in the planning mode here. Winter weather here affords me plenty of time for indoor reading, cleaning, but not much outdoor time.

[elegantlion]

As of yesterday I can say a realistic goal for 2010 is not to visit relatives in the winter anymore. We are stuck in a snow storm and had the reasons we've moved south (where it's warm!) reiterated in the last few days. Ds got his white Christmas though. :glare:

 

 

Now things to strive for, not to just avoid:

1. finish my 20/20/20 reading challenge

2. finish editing at least two stories

3. add hiking into our regular family routine (do not wait until July to start)

 

I sat down about a month ago and outlined some goals for certain areas of my life. These are the three I'm thinking about this week.

[Tammyla]

I hope you all make it home soon. :grouphug:

 

It just keeps snowing and snowing here. Every morning it's...or goodie, time to warm up the snow-blower and pull out the shovels. The rain, freezing rain were awful, I try to like the snow.

 

I'd like to move myself...And I no longer drive 5-8 hours north to be with dh's family anymore. They are welcome to drive down here;) and think I'm crazy for suggesting it....:001_huh:.

 

 

As of yesterday I can say a realistic goal for 2010 is not to visit relatives in the winter anymore. We are stuck in a snow storm and had the reasons we've moved south (where it's warm!) reiterated in the last few days. Ds got his white Christmas though. :glare:

 

 

Now things to strive for, not to just avoid:

1. finish my 20/20/20 reading challenge

2. finish editing at least two stories

3. add hiking into our regular family routine (do not wait until July to start)

 

I sat down about a month ago and outlined some goals for certain areas of my life. These are the three I'm thinking about this week.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Tammyla

[NCMom]

Many of our changes will be to go back to what worked before...things and priorities that I let fall to the wayside. :glare:

 

School

 

-Learning will once again fit into our life and not stand alone as a totally deadline driven effort. Output will = learning, not just output for its own sake.

 

-School work will be individualized, but we will return to the framework of TWTM/LCC with some CM and Waldorf in the mix.

 

-No more co-ops.

 

-Art and Music will be reinstated to their former levels of importance.

 

Family fun

-Try and hike as much of the BRP as we can.

 

-More outside time. This is a priority every day that it is above 40, which is my cold toleration limit; good thing we live in an isothermal, lol.

 

Work

-Utilize as much of our property as we can. Triple garden production. Fence another 2 acres, add two more goats, 20 more chicks and bees. Begin planting goldenseal/ginseng in the fall.

 

-Paint and if needed drywall the whole upstairs. Put in a new electrical panel. Do the roof. Put in the new oven and redo the kitchen utilizing materials we have and second hand stuff (except the counter tops). The prep work for these is mostly done and some of the materials bought/found.

:001_smile:

 

It's gonna be a fun year!

Georgia

Edited December 27, 2009 by Georgia in NC
typos

[MomtoCandJ]

1) Keep up on house work with 1 yo dd who likes to terrorize EVERYTHING, any suggestions? oh and how to get motivated to do it, I would rather terrorize with dd than clean anything.

2) Get finances straightened out, little bit behind on bills due to dh's hours being cut some more, possible 2nd afternoon/night job or work from home for me so we have more money to catch up with.

3) Finnish degree for pharmacy tech.

[Garga]

Get enough sleep so that I can get up on time in the morning.

[Alenee]

My goal is to get back to running...start training with the Portland Running Group in April...and plan to run a half marathon sometime between July and October.

[nd293]

1) Keep up on house work with 1 yo dd who likes to terrorize EVERYTHING, any suggestions?

 

Still working on goals for 2010, but one that worked this year involved a 2 yo ds who liked to terrorize EVERYTHING. :001_smile: I accepted the reality, and cut down on the fights and the work by re-arranging things a little. I moved all his books from the living room where he pulled them all off the shelf multiple times a day, to my bedroom where he only really got at them nap- and bed-time. I took maybe 10 cushions from the living areas and stored them in one of those vacuum-type bags and put them away - I was picking them up off the floor at least half a dozen times a day. I packed a lot of toys into a closed cupboard. Those were the big things that made the house look much better, and freed up time for other housework. And as he gets older, he is getting a little less destructive.

[sunshine]

Besides the holiday list I posted my 2010 goals are simple.

 

Go to bed before 12am. That in itself will lead to all kinds of productive stuff!

[Crissy]

My most important goal is my health. I have been cleaning up my diet and I intend to be at a much healthier weight by my 40th birthday in June.

If I can lose 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas I can certainly lost 20 more by June, right? :)

 

My second goal is to complete Elegantlion's 20/20/20 reading challenge.

[cdrumm4448]

I have several goals I have been thinking about.

 

1. Return to mostly raw diet. I was so good about this until Halloween. Then it fizzled out.

 

2. Return to yoga three times a week. Left with the raw diet.

 

3. Be more consistent regarding implementing chore system with the kids.

 

4. Be more consistent with school. We took too much time off in the fall. A day here, a day there, it really adds up.

 

5. Get up on time to get yoga, shower and cleaning done before school.

 

6. Read more.

 

7. Even more hands-on projects with the kids.

 

8. Watch movies occasionally.

 

9. See my parents and friends more often.

[Tammyla]

You know, this one thing has made a huge difference for me in so many ways.

 

Get enough sleep so that I can get up on time in the morning.

[jillian]

1.exercise regularly--at least 3 times a week

2.work on getting us out of debt--hopefully out of CC debt by the end of 2010

3.get some organization to our home so things will be easier to clean up

4.putting my all into school (2 classes left)

5.plan my menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner weekly

6.getting us unplugged more. no more than an hour of tv for dd and me during the day

[joannqn]

Diet - Continue my dairy free diet, eliminate most soy, learn to cook more dairy free, soy free options to make this easier, slowly reduce above from my family's diet too

 

Exercise - Play DDR regularly again. (I bought another dance pad so the kids and I can play together which will help this to happen...no more, can I have a turn when I'm trying to exercise.) When I get into better shape, add strength training.

 

Health - The diet and exercise will improve my health and help me lose more weight. I'm already 21 pounds below my prepregnancy weight. I want to lose 30-50 pounds more. I have a range because I would be happy with 30 pounds, 40 would be better, and 50 would be awesome.

 

House - Finish the decluttering I started between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Paint inside once spring arrives. All rooms need it, though I can't see doing the kitchen, which needs much more work than just painting.

 

School - Keep plugging away like normal. Add a couple of video projects to my daughter's work so DH can stop grumbling about buying her a program that she isn't using (I changed the plan after we bought it, so it's my fault, not hers.)

 

Hobbies - Finish my planned knitting projects. Make Madelynn her baby blanket (all my kids have one special handmade one I'll keep for them). Read half of the 20/20/20 challenge which is more realistic for me.

[Hedgehogs4]

Besides the holiday list I posted my 2010 goals are simple.

 

Go to bed before 12am. That in itself will lead to all kinds of productive stuff!

 

i second that! i should add that to my list. i am way too much of a night-owl.

[Closeacademy]

Our goals:

 

Change our eating habits slowly removing the bad foods and replacing them with good foods.

 

Regular exercise for me.

 

To help my children see learning as fun and not as a chore. To spend more quality time at home doing things together and reduce screen time.

 

For my youngest to learn to read fluently.

 

To continue to eliminate debt.

 

I think those are the big ones. :001_smile:

[Truscifi]

Workout at the dojo 5 days a week (currently at 3 days a week).

 

Get to bed by 11pm every night so I can get decent sleep before getting up at 6:30am.

 

Start measuring portions out again to ensure proper portion sizes.

 

Stick to the budget dh and I made for 2010.

[Renee in NC]

Regular formal exercise as a family.

 

Focus on God instead of the things of daily life.

 

Go do more - museums, field trips, the beach, parks, etc.

[rafiki]

.

[Jane in NC]

Well my life is changing radically in 2010. My only child leaves the nest in August or September to attend college. This is my year to regroup.

 

My goals for 2010 include:

 

--returning to the pottery studio (something I stepped away from when homeschooling began six years ago)

 

--tackling some more complicated sewing and knitting projects

 

--completing the book a week challenge which means that I need to spend less time online (Can I get an "Amen"?)

 

--write paper letters to older relatives and dear friends who have confessed that they miss snail mail

 

--And now for the contradiction. She who claims she'll spend less time online would like to start a blog. Hmmm... Anyone else see a problem with this picture?

[kls126s]

We're going gluten free after the first of the year, so I think that's going to take a lot of planning and emotional energy until I get that figured out.

 

I am also doing the reading challenge this year. Really noticed lately how different I feel when I am not taking time to do things I just enjoy.

 

Sleep is probably a smart goal too. I usually stay up way too late which messes up mornings, etc. That's definitely a domino effect.

[homeschoolin'mygirls]

structure will be changing. not sure if it's positive, negative, or just changed. :001_smile:

I am a RN out of the workforce for over 10 years. In Jan I start a 4 month RN refresher course with the intent to go back to work full time. I was hoping to wait until my kids were graduated but we really need the income now.

 

My husband has been retired the last 8 years but I've always done the majority of homeschooling. Obviously, that will be changing.

My oldest is doing Keystone HS with dual CC classes; my youngest will be a K-12 9th grader next year, although she is auditioning in March for a highly competitive performing arts school. If she gets accepted, that means even more changes!

 

I'm both excited and nervous about how this will change our family dynamics.

 

In the meantime, I'm trying to get projects done that we've been putting off. This week I'm cleaning our a rental storage building that we've needed to get out of for years. :blush:

[LauraGB]

(Big deep breath, because you know if I put it in writing I HAVE to do it, right?)

 

1. I WILL write for at least 2 hours every day. Whether its in 30 or 60 min increments, or the whole enchilada, I will do this. I won't bug about the itty bitty bits; I will just hit my cumulative goal.

 

2. We will make our "side business" THE business this year, sell our home and current business, and have a home with just our very own family this year.

 

3. And I really like Jean's about decluttering one room each week, then coming back through a second time. I need to do that.

 

4. Get some sort of exercise in weekly. Its too easy to go an entire week with not really doing much, so I started by signing the dc up in Jan for 30-45 min YMCA classes M-TH, and while they are doing thier classes, I will walk the track and listen to books on my mp3 player (so I can keep up with the 20/20/20, too! Bonus!).

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Well, these are somethings I've been thinking about:

 

In January, spending on nothing but absolute essentials.

 

The rest of the year:

 

Eat more veggies.

Get myself and my husband in for check ups and blood work which we have neglected for years.

Pay down at least one of our parent loans.

Finish the kitchen cabinets that I started working on last summer.

Declutter and thoroughly clean my bedroom and the computer/sewing room.

[Faithr]

Live a more Christ-centered life. Pray more, exercise more, eat better, read more, love more.

[muffinmom]

learning how to relax

 

living in the moment vs planning the next moment

 

encouraging family activities that keep us active

 

living my priorities

 

being the change

 

2009 was a very productive year, despite it ending with dh's employer going out of business. I've purged a lot in my life, both physical "stuff" and mental clutter. I make sure all "stuff" earns it's keep here. I've forgiven others who have hurt me, even wrote and sent them letters. It's been freeing. We've also continued Dave Ramsey, did very well with our budget and attaining our goals. Thankfully, because of that, we have a 6 month cushion to fall back on now that dh is unemployed and things aren't as stressful as they could be. We simplified our life. All of us also had physicals and got caught up with dental appointments, bloodwork, gyn appointments, I even showed up for my mamogram that everyone said was so awful - it wasn't that bad.

 

2010 is starting out busy, with dh unemployed, our house on the market, and knowing we are moving out of state, but not knowing where, but we focus on encouraging things to go well and how we react to those things we can't control.

 

maybe you should be my accountability partner, cuz those are all on my list, particularly the first two! :tongue_smilie:

 

I will turn 40 in a couple of months...I want to be 40 and Fearless. Now if someone could just tell me how to do that...

[TravelingChris]

I think I will just continue what I have been doing. Teaching my two remaining homeschoolers, helping them get into good summer programs and for the older one, a good college next year, planning vacations and trips, meals and classes, gardens and baking projects,and continuing caring for everyone's medical problems now that I have to add my dh finally into that category (hopefully only temporarily).

[Heather in Neverland]

1. have family devotions EVERY night

 

2. lose 20 lbs

 

3. conquer my plantar fasciitis so I can do the couch to 5k program

 

4. finish my master's in theology degree

 

5. try to enjoy each day more instead of always looking to the future

[keptwoman]

One aim: draw or paint daily. That's it. Just a sketch or a scribble even. But EVERY day.

[Amber in AUS]

I plan to ...

 

follow TWTM de-clutter challenge, 1 item per day for the year

read a book a month

handover some responsibilities to the kids for our animals

have the kids stick to a routine which includes 'jobs' at breakfast, lunch and dinner

take the dog for a walk at least 3 x per week once she has her final injection

[Happy]

Well my life is changing radically in 2010. My only child leaves the nest in August or September to attend college. This is my year to regroup.

 

My goals for 2010 include:

 

--returning to the pottery studio (something I stepped away from when homeschooling began six years ago)

 

--tackling some more complicated sewing and knitting projects

 

--completing the book a week challenge which means that I need to spend less time online (Can I get an "Amen"?)

 

--write paper letters to older relatives and dear friends who have confessed that they miss snail mail

 

--And now for the contradiction. She who claims she'll spend less time online would like to start a blog. Hmmm... Anyone else see a problem with this picture?

 

LOL! I said that about my youngest leaving home last year. Instead, we decided his best course of action was one full year of college while living at home. THEN our oldest son and his wife (and now baby) moved back in with us while they seek better jobs.

 

Instead of an empty nest, I have a very full one.

 

 

In addition to making goals at the beginning of the year, I reevaluate in early June. That keeps my goals fresh and focused.

 

My goals are

 

to write like the wind this year. 2000 words every day. Revise and finish the four novels I have going. Do a first draft on another one. Write, write, write.

 

Attend two writer's conferences to pitch my ideas to agents and editors.

 

continue my physical exercise plans. Walk at least three times a week for 45 minutes a time. More days when possible. Add two days of strength training and two days of yoga stretches to the week. Hike the nature center or wild spaces once a month or more.

 

Continue my health eating quest.

 

Make a quilt for our bed.

 

Send each of my four remaining sister in laws a special gift on their birthdays

Have lunch with different sets of friends once a month. (Two or three lunches a month.)

 

Declutter the house. Prep for possible sale this year or next.

 

Participate in the 20/20/20 reading challenge.

 

Enjoy my gardens this year.

 

Blog three times a week. Makeover my blog. Launch the garden one.

 

It's going to be a busy and exciting year.

[Strawberry Queen]

My biggest goal is physical. I did well over the holidays and maintained my weight. Yay! Now I just need to get my butt in gear and exercise regularly. I'm aiming for losing a pound a week.

 

I need to get to bed earlier so that above can happen.

 

I want to finish off projects that have remained unfinished for a while.

 

I want to be more diligent in teaching and putting more consistent effort into our days so that I can get to more of the extras.

 

I have a ton of other things that I could work on but I want to be realistic.:D

[IsabelC]

I am going to make two resolutions for each month, the aim being to keep each one going so that 24 habits will be changed by the end of the year.

So January's goals are:

1. Follow my morning routine beginning at 6am each day.

2. Do something fun and physically active with my children each day, even if it's only for a few minutes.

[Saille]

I'm another one eye-ing couch to 5K. Just found the app thanks to the favorite apps thread. I'm going to snowshoe until about April, though. Running on ice does not appeal to me.

 

Other goals:

 

1. NaNoWriMo again

2. Edit the book I finished this year

3. I have a target weight, and I'm almost halfway there, so we'll see

 

That's as many as I'm willing to write down, I guess.

[Rosie_0801]

I really don't believe in New Years Resolutions because they are long lists of unrealistic aspirations, and they they rarely last more than a week. BUT, i do think that if you take one thing and really commit to changing it, success is more likely.

 

A New Years Resolution by any other name, is still a New Years Resolution in my opinion :) I have a couple that I'm intending to work on this year:

 

*1. Follow the decluttering calendar someone posted the other day. January is up on my fridge as I type. And I've done today's challenge ;)

 

*2. Do Pilates morning and night. I did my 45 seconds worth this morning ;) I figure regularity is more important than duration for me at the moment. My poor untoned baby belly!

 

*3. Improve my speech. I am playing a lot of Jane Austen videos in the background as a reminder. I wish I'd been bought up in South Australia, then I'd have that nice vaguely British accent.

 

*4. Work through Analytical Grammar. It hasn't arrived yet, so that will have to wait. Also to start working through WEM. I have my new journal, new pens and St Augustine's confessions ready and waiting. I'll do a bit of that this afternoon.

 

*5. Get my Advent calendar usable in time for Christmas. I have plans, but not the cash to follow through atm...

 

:)

Rosie

Edited January 1, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[Peela]

I intend to:

continue my raw diet adventure and see where that takes me

get fitter

keep expanding my vegetables garden/s even though we rent

really focus on the kids and our homeschooling

I would also like to be more creative: paint again, sew, spin, knit, etc

[CalicoKat]

well one thing's for sure, I'm spending less time here--starting tomorrow. :D

 

I'm going to knit more. My yarn and sticks for those projects was ordered yesterday.

 

And I'm thinking that with the time I gain from not coming to my online coffee houses I can spend a bit on daily exercise.

 

I also think that a refresher course in French, a language I grew up speaking but essentially stopped when I married my English-only husband, would be wise.

[laughing lioness]

I want a lot...

Re-gain strength & health. Bed and wake-up more scheduled, diet and exercise.

52 books or 20/20/20 reading challenge.

Homeschool focus.

Learn latin with ds 15- beyond forms and vocab.

Write with dh.

Figure out our housing/living situation- a move in the spring. Still not sure about the property/house/rebuild but we are leasing till May.

Be intentional about the "stuff" we bring back in (since the fire was a major de-cluttering event- bonus:))

Finish insurance forms- egads!- by end of March.

[PiCO]

I really don't believe in New Years Resolutions because they are long lists of unrealistic aspirations, and they they rarely last more than a week. BUT, i do think that if you take one thing and really commit to changing it, success is more likely.

 

I kind of agree with this, in that I don't think New Year's is the only time one should set goals. I try to set goals and then revisit and adjust every three months or so.

 

Anyway, here's my list:

 

1. Continue on weight loss/ healthy eating journey. I was not very good over xmas, but I have made a lot of headway in the last year!

 

2. Continue to work on business. Improve and expand services.

 

3. Be kinder to oldest dd. I have high expectations for her, but she has not been meeting them this year. I didn't take it well when I found out, and I was a little harsh. She's back on track now, but I need to show her that I am proud of her accomplishments and really don't expect perfection.