This time of year usually becomes a time of reflection and re-evaluation for me. Between my birthday around Thanksgiving time, and the approaching new year, I always "turn inward" as a way of determining how I grew as a person in the previous year, and how I still need to grow in the coming year.
A few days ago, I sat down and updated some goals for the new year. A goal, as I've learned, should be something specific and measurable. Some of these meet that criteria, and some are not as easy to "measure", but just the act of writing them down gets me closer to that achievement. Also, the act of referring back to these goals is good motivation to move in that direction. And (oh, and) publishing them for all the bloggy world to see is great pressure motivation to work toward meeting these goals...if for no other reason than to avoid "gah! I didn't improve at all in that area!" So, without further ado, here they are!
Spiritual Goals:
- Spend moments alone with God (in prayer and Bible reading) everyday. Put Him first before anything including computer time and chores.
- Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit- Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.
- Make church a priority. Be excellent in my areas of service. Do what God directs me to do regardless of whether or not my work is acknowledged or appreciated. Keep my eyes on Him!
- Make a habit of speaking the language of praise- stop complaining! Tame my tongue!
Marital Goals:
- Be positive with my husband. Don't criticize, complain or condemn.
- Keep "covenant" in the forefront of my mind- by doing a Scripture study and/or reading books/listening to teachings that promote covenant in marriage.
- Be flexible (this one is a biggie for me!)- Let your immediate answer be "yes" or at the very least "I'll think about it". (So often I am immediately opposed to new ideas- this is a habit that I would like to break this coming year to promote peace in my marriage).
Maternal Goals:
- Actively direct P & C to the Lord by sharing Scriptures with them, weaving Biblical lessons into the everyday- don't be afraid to show them my need for the Savior when I mess up, too! Keep them in prayer on a daily basis!
- Focus on spending quality time with them in instruction, creative play, and just for fun (with no agenda)! Get out of the house on a weekly basis (in addition to church- i.e. to the library, park or elsewhere). Institute regular TV turn-off weeks/days.
- Work toward having "real food" be the basis for their diet (and ours too of course)...phase out store bought/processed foods like chicken nuggets.
Domestic Goals:
- Cultivate order and beauty in our home. Make it a place of tranquility and hospitality. Go the extra mile to make things "pretty".
- Find and use one new recipe each month.
- Pare down our possessions by doing "27 Fling Boogies" or something similar on a regular basis. Keep stuff I/we love and use, but sell, donate or dispose of other stuff.
Personal Goals:
- Continue to develop friendships with other women...pray for and be on the look out for a Titus 2- type mentor.
- Continue to blog regularly- make a schedule of posts every month (you know, so I don't sit around wondering what to blog about every day!). Gain 60 new blog followers in 2011.
- Read! Commit to two books per month for a total of 24 in 2011! (And, try to read one book at a time! :D)
- Contribute $400 per month to our family's income (with the purpose of covering "non-essential" expenses like gifts and other nice-but-not-necessary things) through my Pampered Chef business.
So...what are you going to be up to next year? Tell me about it in the comments, or feel free to link to your post about your goals for the new year.
