S/O: What do your New Year's resolutions/goals/plans look like?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

This is a spin-off from the big organization thread here, so I'm posting it on this board instead of the Chat forum.

 

I'm in the process of creating some concrete goals for the coming year, but for once, I'm going to try to implement them incrementally rather than setting myself up for failure by expecting that I'll revolutionize my whole life/health/school all at once starting on January 1! I'm wondering what others' lists or goals are looking like.

 

Did you achieve this year's goals, in whole or in part? If you did, what worked for you, and why do you think you managed to make it work?

 

:lurk5:

[Faithr]

I wrote up a draft of a blog post a few days. I just posted it, so if you go here, you see what i'm aiming for.

[melmichigan]

Personal goals:

 

1. I just received medical clearance to begin exercising again after almost a year, so easing back into that is number one on my list.

 

2. Trying to comment and keep up with the 52 books in 52 weeks thread or the book discussion group if it gets started.

 

3. Limiting my internet time on a daily basis M-F, goes along with rearranging my living room so I am in the center of things when I am on the computer.

 

For school:

 

1. Prioritize read aloud time again like I did when my girls were younger.

 

2. Keeping my oldest on a schedule and teaching her to study while keeping my sanity intact.

 

3. Spending more time working one-on-one with my boys.

 

Combined goal:

 

Keeping myself on more of a schedule throughout my day while carving out time for myself.

[PeterPan]

Well I don't do NY's resolutions, but my plan is to start a new catalog for the year in Lightroom and keep up with culling and editing my pictures better. I'd like to be able to make slideshows at the end of the year more easily, etc., which means keeping up with my editing. Like Mel, I'm hoping to get back into exercising, and I've been spending less time on the computer. (The suckiness of the boards lately has helped with that.) That's all the extra I'm likely to get accomplished. For me the biggest hurdle was realizing I wasn't accomplishing my goals and moving those things from the someday to definite part of my life. I've never done New Year's goals beyond that, because I don't chose to feel guilty about something I did in the past that I can't change. The things that I can change, I change immediately. I don't need to wait till January 2nd for a boost, kwim?

[Chava_Raizel]

I love making resolutions, even if I don't manage everything, I love just sitting down and planning out how I want my year to go.

 

1. Get healthy. I've been feeling really sluggish lately and my body is getting flabby. I really want to get into shape, so I'm going to start doing the 30 Day Shred and eating a healthier diet. Dh wants to do P90X again, but it about killed me last time we tried...maybe after doing 30 Day Shred I'll be up to it. I'm also aiming at drinking more water - the days I drink more I feel better. I just have to find a way to remember to drink!

 

2. Get organized. Our house is cluttered, and it's making me crazy. I'm having a hard time getting things the way I want, so dh is going to help me do some rearranging.

 

3. Read 100 books. Every year I up my goal - this year I'm at 95 books (I'm cramming the last one, I should finish it tomorrow!). Most of my reading tends to be childrens lit (for my curriculum that I'm writing), but I'd like to work harder at getting more "grown up" books in this year.

 

4. Spend more time one on one with my kids...I'm realizing that I haven't really done that lately and it definitely needs to be a priority!

[SFM]

I never was one for resolutions but for this year I really have been wanting to make some goals.

 

Mine may sound very simplistic but I know they can be kept with discipline.

 

1. Go to bed earlier aiming for 9-10 each night.

2. Wake up at set time each morning 5-6.

3. Read 52 books (not trying for 1 a week b/c sometimes it's 2 a week and other weeks none).

4. Exercise daily -- something for at least 30 minutes.

5. Read through the Bible (I got stuck last year at Leviticus) I am determined this year.

6. Send a card to someone once a week.

7. Finish college (it won't be this year but it will be the starting again so that I can eventually finish).

 

 

I actually have more like add photos and journal entries to my photo albums, stop worrying about schooling and just relax and enjoy, better execution of meal planning, sticking to my budget plans, have tea time with the kids at least 2x a week, pray and journal prayers for my children so they can read them in the future, pray for my husband EVERY single day for a designated amount of time.

 

Things like that.

 

So, what am I going to do to reach these goals.

 

1. Go to bed, do not take laptop upstairs (because if I become restless I get on the computer).

2. SET an alarm and GET UP and have clothing already set out.

3. Silent Sustained Reading time for mom too.

4. It's okay to start exercising slowly, something every day!!!

5. Read as soon as my feet hit the ground.

6. Select a person, go get a card and DO IT. BE aware of those who need encouragement and be intentional.

7. I enroll next week and need to take at least ONE class every time they have a session. It can be done, slowly but surely.

 

The rest I think I have a plan for as well but I need to write them down. I was listening to I think Dave Ramsey one day and he was talking about how goals need to be written, measurable, and something else, specific, maybe? Anyways, I am trying to do just that.

 

HA, maybe I should be working on my procrastination.

:)

[duckens]

I don't know about what Dave Ramsey says, but goals do need to be specific to be attainable.

 

To say, "I need to be more affectionate toward my partner," is not nearly as specific as, "I will hug and kiss my partner at least 3 times each day."

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

Goals for me:

1) 4 servings of fruit each day (1/2 apple is one serving)

2) 5 servings of vegetables each day

3) Lay out fruits and vegetables first thing in the morning

4) Do SOMETHING for exercise every day.

 

5) Put dd6 to bed by 9:30 each night. (If she gets to bed later, she is a BEAR in the morning to get up before 9am).

6) Awaken dd2 by 9:30am. (If she sleeps too late in the morning, she will nap late (5-7pm) and stay up until past midnight.

7) Pull my sorry butt out of bed by the time Loverboy leaves for work.

[PeterPan]

I never was one for resolutions but for this year I really have been wanting to make some goals.

 

Mine may sound very simplistic but I know they can be kept with discipline.

 

1. Go to bed earlier aiming for 9-10 each night.

2. Wake up at set time each morning 5-6.

3. Read 52 books (not trying for 1 a week b/c sometimes it's 2 a week and other weeks none).

4. Exercise daily -- something for at least 30 minutes.

5. Read through the Bible (I got stuck last year at Leviticus) I am determined this year.

6. Send a card to someone once a week.

7. Finish college (it won't be this year but it will be the starting again so that I can eventually finish).

 

 

I actually have more like add photos and journal entries to my photo albums, stop worrying about schooling and just relax and enjoy, better execution of meal planning, sticking to my budget plans, pray and journal prayers for my children so they can read them in the future, pray for my husband EVERY single day for a designated amount of time.

 

Things like that.

 

So, what am I going to do to reach these goals.

 

1. Go to bed, do not take laptop upstairs (because if I become restless I get on the computer).

2. SET an alarm and GET UP and have clothing already set out.

3. Silent Sustained Reading time for mom too.

4. It's okay to start exercising slowly, something every day!!!

5. Read as soon as my feet hit the ground.

6. Select a person, go get a card and DO IT. BE aware of those who need encouragement and be intentional.

7. I enroll next week and need to take at least ONE class every time they have a session. It can be done, slowly but surely.

 

The rest I think I have a plan for as well but I need to write them down. I was listening to I think Dave Ramsey one day and he was talking about how goals need to be written, measurable, and something else, specific, maybe? Anyways, I am trying to do just that.

 

HA, maybe I should be working on my procrastination.

:)

You might look into a Bible reading plan that splits you up between OT and NT and has you read forward with both, something like this http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/old-testament-and-new-testament.html

 

On the cards, my SIL is super diligent with cards. She sends them all out at the beginning of the month. Might be easier to remember than every week.

 

Keeping up with scrapbooking and images, I hear you! You mentioned bedtimes. What I've been doing is making a mental change in my schedule. I used to consider my whole evening my own. Now I try to pick a time that is the end of discussion board time. From then on my remaining waking hours are photo-editing, walking, winding down and reading, etc. It's helping me get to bed earlier too. That was my epiphany though, that my life is busy enough that I needed to make a silly little schedule and tell myself that. So I know if I want to edit and organize photos, that time slot in my life is 8 pm. I know if I'm getting in a walk, well 9 pm is here, get your butt out. That sounds terrible, but I like the cold night air. And I know if I'm really going to hit that pile of books I've been thinking about, well 10 pm is the time to start. Then at 11 I'm ready to wind down to sleep.

 

On your cards, you might like to have a little structure. You can have monthly folders, write each person's name in the front, and buy the cards at the beginning of the month. Then you just need a box of pretty blank cards to write notes to the unscheduled things (thank you, thinking of you).

[LizzyBee]

1. I am increasing my work hours to full time on January 1.

2. I had some sort of medical event at the beginning of October that my oncologist can't explain, and I had to stop exercising. But my goal is to get more active - take a walk, walk up and down the stairs a few times, etc, several times a day.

3. I feel so much better on a paleo diet, but I haven't stuck with that during the holidays. So starting January 1, I really want to stick to a paleo diet to keep my energy up for working FT.

4. Get our finances in order; increase savings, decrease debt.

5. Get over the funk I've been in this year; psychologically, become a cancer survivor instead of a cancer patient.

6. Get more sleep. I started taking melatonin a week ago and it's helping.

[SFM]

You might look into a Bible reading plan that splits you up between OT and NT and has you read forward with both, something like this http://www.biblestud...-testament.html

 

On the cards, my SIL is super diligent with cards. She sends them all out at the beginning of the month. Might be easier to remember than every week.

 

Keeping up with scrapbooking and images, I hear you! You mentioned bedtimes. What I've been doing is making a mental change in my schedule. I used to consider my whole evening my own. Now I try to pick a time that is the end of discussion board time. From then on my remaining waking hours are photo-editing, walking, winding down and reading, etc. It's helping me get to bed earlier too. That was my epiphany though, that my life is busy enough that I needed to make a silly little schedule and tell myself that. So I know if I want to edit and organize photos, that time slot in my life is 8 pm. I know if I'm getting in a walk, well 9 pm is here, get your butt out. That sounds terrible, but I like the cold night air. And I know if I'm really going to hit that pile of books I've been thinking about, well 10 pm is the time to start. Then at 11 I'm ready to wind down to sleep.

 

On your cards, you might like to have a little structure. You can have monthly folders, write each person's name in the front, and buy the cards at the beginning of the month. Then you just need a box of pretty blank cards to write notes to the unscheduled things (thank you, thinking of you).

 

 

VERY helpful, thank you very much.

[Mystie]

Instead of resolutions for 2013, I'm focusing on habits and trying to hammer down the small steps that have significant impact rather than totally trying to overhaul everything at once. Here's my post about my Habit Project. My habits are

 

 

Organization Project

 

1. make my bed
   
2. always write it down right away in RTM, EN, or Cal
   
3. look at RTM, Cal, & Daily Docket before breakfast, during lunch, & before bed
   
4. set three goals per day, during breakfast, tell someone
   
5. put it away, don't put it down
   
6. 5m daily dealing w/ clutter spot or paper piles
   
7. lay out stuff for the next day (clothes, errand things, breakfast)
   
8. use the timer to create focus
   
9. 30 minutes daily for day's focus (ala LFL)
   
10. write summary of day/school every evening
    

 

Happiness Project (for me, my children, & my home's atmosphere)

 

1. 15m Bible-reading & prayer before breakfast
   
2. smile with eye contact
   
3. close the computer when talking/listening
   
4. eat breakfast with kids, at table, being present
   
5. say something kind & hug/cuddle each child daily
   
6. daily conversation: tea, walk, or lunch
   
7. get the grace, blow it out, choose a cheerful attitude
   
8. ask for forgiveness right away when I lose it, before I feel like it; choose to let it go
   
9. Use good-natured humor rather than sarcasm or a snark to make my point
   
10. Improve dinner conversation
    

 

Health & Energy Project

 

1. 100oz water + vitamins daily
   
2. consciously plate all food
   
3. 20m min. daily for exercise
   
4. lunch: salad w/ cheese, fruit, nuts, seeds + cup of soup (tomato or broth w/ veggies)
   
5. all carbs complex & whole-food, w/ 2 exceptions weekly & Sundays off
   
6. 5m morning & evening stretch routine
   
7. sieze opportunities to move quickly; make normal routines aerobic activity
   
8. eat 5+ servings of vegetables a day
   
9. get 8 hours of sleep 6x/week
   
10. no carbs after 4pm, w/ 2 allowed exceptions per week & Sundays off
    

 

And just to remind everyone, we have a Project Organization email group set up after the organization thread for some accountability about working on all this. We kick it off tomorrow!

[Momma2Luke]

I never was one for resolutions but for this year I really have been wanting to make some goals.

 

Mine may sound very simplistic but I know they can be kept with discipline.

 

1. Go to bed earlier aiming for 9-10 each night.

2. Wake up at set time each morning 5-6.

3. Read 52 books (not trying for 1 a week b/c sometimes it's 2 a week and other weeks none).

4. Exercise daily -- something for at least 30 minutes.

5. Read through the Bible (I got stuck last year at Leviticus) I am determined this year.

6. Send a card to someone once a week.

7. Finish college (it won't be this year but it will be the starting again so that I can eventually finish).

 

 

I actually have more like add photos and journal entries to my photo albums, stop worrying about schooling and just relax and enjoy, better execution of meal planning, sticking to my budget plans, have tea time with the kids at least 2x a week, pray and journal prayers for my children so they can read them in the future, pray for my husband EVERY single day for a designated amount of time.

 

Things like that.

 

So, what am I going to do to reach these goals.

 

1. Go to bed, do not take laptop upstairs (because if I become restless I get on the computer).

2. SET an alarm and GET UP and have clothing already set out.

3. Silent Sustained Reading time for mom too.

4. It's okay to start exercising slowly, something every day!!!

5. Read as soon as my feet hit the ground.

6. Select a person, go get a card and DO IT. BE aware of those who need encouragement and be intentional.

7. I enroll next week and need to take at least ONE class every time they have a session. It can be done, slowly but surely.

 

The rest I think I have a plan for as well but I need to write them down. I was listening to I think Dave Ramsey one day and he was talking about how goals need to be written, measurable, and something else, specific, maybe? Anyways, I am trying to do just that.

 

HA, maybe I should be working on my procrastination.

:)

 

 

Love this... this could have been written by me - we share so many of the same goals - right down to the tea-times and card-sending....

 

One thing I've decided for the card/letter writing is to incorporate it into our learning curriculum.... wednesdays are now Write a Letter Wednesday... I want my son to know the gentle art of writing snail-mail letters and I want to get back to it.... personally I think we need a huge revival for this art....

[ForeverFamily]

Some of my goals are going to look different this year because looking ahead I can see many factors that will make this year a very busy chaotic one. Three of the biggest are 1) having a baby in March (it seems to usually take me about 3 months to get back to somewhat normal), 2) husband will be getting a new job, 3) we will most likely be building or buying a house, so in other words moving. I am hoping that our life will be settled down by about September or so, but we shall see. So with all of that craziness in mind these are my main goals for the year....

 

1) Be patient with myself.

2) Be more patient with the kids. As well as help my kids learn to be more patient.

3) Allow myself to be happy, and enjoy the moment that I am in, even though life will be crazy. (This is something that was talked about in church a couple weeks ago. We were told about a a nurse that asked her dying patients what they most regretted about their life, or one thing they wish they could have changed. One of the things that people said was that they wished they had allowed themselves to be more happy. Another thing was spending more time with the ones that they loved. This really made me stop and think about how I am living my life)

4) Make time to read my scriptures, write in my journal, and say a prayer every morning.

5) Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier.

6) Start school earlier

7) leave more time for chores in the morning.

8) Use my time more efficiently, less computer time. This will include coming up with a specific plan for cleaning, as well as meal plans.

9) Spend more time with the kids. Join them more often in activities and playing.

10) Be more consistent with read alouds.

11) Make art a way of life. My kids absolutely love art. I am an artist myself, but I feel like I have done a lousy job at "teaching" them art. I want to do a better job at that.

12) Be consistent with helping my kids practice the piano

13) Be consistent with school ( I think I have done a good job this school year, but I need to make sure I continue to do so)

14) Do more "fun" things with school.

 

I am sure there are more I could think of, but these are the ones I have come up with thus far. I need to sit down and make each of these goals more specific.

[NotSoObvious]

Here are mine. http://homeschoolfortwo.com/homeschool/three-new-years-resolutions/

[twoxcell]

Man this year has been so crazy I haven't even had time to think of next year. Maybe my dh and I can discuss goals over coffee tomorrow morning.

[Chris in VA]

This is so helpful. I need to lose a significant amt of weight so that dh and I will have an easier time on his summer sabbatical (that's my main motivation, but I'm aware it's about health and such). How I'm going to do that is still up in the air, but y'alls' water goals and other specific goals are very helpful.

 

Angi, is your Esther study a Beth Moore? We did it at church last year or the year before (I've forgotten) and it was really wonderful. Session 4 is powerful! I'll pray for your group if you like.

[HappyGrace]

I am approaching NY differently this yr-no resolutions, etc. It is very freeing. (But somewhat weird not to have any!)

 

This is all mainly because I had a life and heart changing experience (felt I was close to death) in Dec that made me TRULY understand that Christ is all there is, now and eternally. The joy that comes from that is inexplicable. :Angel_anim:

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

5. Get over the funk I've been in this year; psychologically, become a cancer survivor instead of a cancer patient.

 

 

:grouphug:

 

I never was one for resolutions but for this year I really have been wanting to make some goals.

 

Mine may sound very simplistic but I know they can be kept with discipline.

 

1. Go to bed earlier aiming for 9-10 each night.

2. Wake up at set time each morning 5-6.

3. Read 52 books (not trying for 1 a week b/c sometimes it's 2 a week and other weeks none).

4. Exercise daily -- something for at least 30 minutes.

5. Read through the Bible (I got stuck last year at Leviticus) I am determined this year.

6. Send a card to someone once a week.

7. Finish college (it won't be this year but it will be the starting again so that I can eventually finish).

 

 

I actually have more like add photos and journal entries to my photo albums, stop worrying about schooling and just relax and enjoy, better execution of meal planning, sticking to my budget plans, have tea time with the kids at least 2x a week, pray and journal prayers for my children so they can read them in the future, pray for my husband EVERY single day for a designated amount of time.

 

Things like that.

 

So, what am I going to do to reach these goals.

 

1. Go to bed, do not take laptop upstairs (because if I become restless I get on the computer).

2. SET an alarm and GET UP and have clothing already set out.

3. Silent Sustained Reading time for mom too.

4. It's okay to start exercising slowly, something every day!!!

5. Read as soon as my feet hit the ground.

6. Select a person, go get a card and DO IT. BE aware of those who need encouragement and be intentional.

7. I enroll next week and need to take at least ONE class every time they have a session. It can be done, slowly but surely.

 

The rest I think I have a plan for as well but I need to write them down. I was listening to I think Dave Ramsey one day and he was talking about how goals need to be written, measurable, and something else, specific, maybe? Anyways, I am trying to do just that.

 

HA, maybe I should be working on my procrastination.

:)

 

 

You sound a lot like me as well. Procrastination is very much my biggest problem!

 

This is all mainly because I had a life and heart changing experience (felt I was close to death) in Dec that made me TRULY understand that Christ is all there is, now and eternally. The joy that comes from that is inexplicable. :Angel_anim:

 

 

That's frightening, and I'm glad you're feeling like your eyes have been opened! :grouphug:

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

And just to remind everyone, we have a Project Organization email group set up after the organization thread for some accountability about working on all this. We kick it off tomorrow!

 

 

Mystie, how did I miss seeing that?! I just signed up. I like your idea of breaking the goals into areas. I think I may do something similar, hmmm...

 

I'm still working on mine, but I think I'm going to wait to see how the first few goals work out before I plan the rest of the year. My plan is to spend two-week intervals hammering on one good habit before introducing anything new. Even if I'm feeling like a failure at everything else on any given day, if I can accomplish that phase's goal, I'll be moving forward.

 

Weeks 1 & 2: Go to bed at 10 p.m.

Weeks 3 & 4: Shower and dress first thing upon waking, no matter what time it is.

Weeks 5 & 6: Start waking at 6:30 a.m. (hopefully, if I'm well-rested from starting a proper bedtime, this won't be so hard!)

Weeks 7 & 8: Start day with morning responsibilities:

• Load of laundry

• Plan day's meals

• Review schedule

Weeks 9 & 10: Add in 20-30 minutes of yoga or other exercise before showering.

Weeks 11 & 12: Formally Implement bedtime self-care routine:

• Load of laundry

• Brush/floss/rinse

• Lotion

• Take night vitamins

• Review next day's schedule

• Prep next day's clothes and things

This doesn't mean that I won't be trying to build other good habits in the meantime, but not at the expense of the current, most important habit. For example, I'm not going to start trying to implement my bedtime routine at the expense of getting myself to bed when I should, because for me the early rising time is the key to everything, but I'll never accomplish that goal unless I can force myself into bed at a decent time!

 

Hopefully I can make some of these stick, and I hope we're all successful with our plans. It feels good to make plans for change and actually accomplish them. At least, I hear it does! :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

Get over the funk I've been in this year; psychologically, become a cancer survivor instead of a cancer patient.

 

 

 

:grouphug: