Here goes...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! It's time to start all over again!

I have a love/hate relationship with the new year. Every year. I love the idea of being able to start fresh. Even though today (1-1-11) is really no different from yesterday, it just feels different. Fresh. Ya know? I hate it because I will once again be holding myself to a list of goals. Some I accomplish. Some I don't. It's the ones that I don't that bring me down. Soooo...This year I'm going to try to set realistic goals for myself from which my family and I may benefit. I started pondering my goals for 2011 about 12 months ago because I very quickly bombed on last year's and decided to start over this year.

As I posted earlier, 2010 was a bit on the yuck side for us and I feel there is definitely room for improvement. When reading these, you may think "gosh, she doesn't already do that!" And NO! I don't. Or I used to and have just REALLY fallen off the wagon in some areas!!! So here goes...

My friend Bevy over at It's a Golden Day has a great method to her madness of goal setting. Mine is quite similar and taken from one of my favorite organizational books More Hours in My Day by Emilie Barnes and Sheri Torelli. Their chapter on goal setting is right up my alley. They suggest choosing a mission statement or theme verse for you/your family and writing your goals according to categories, prioritizing, and making them measurable.

Our family theme verse for 2011: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24
My Goals:

Spiritual-
a. Attend church more regularly (at least 2x/month)
b. Be more consistent with daily devotionals (Shan- 5x/week, The boys- 3x/week)
c. Pray nightly with my boys
Health/Beauty-
a. Schedule routine check-ups (which I have been avoiding/making excuses for) by January 31, 2011
b. Go to the gym/exercise at least 200x this year
c. Eat 5 fruits and veggies a day
d. Start taking a multi vitamin daily (again)
e. Treat myself monthly to something cosmetic (hair, nails, massage, new make up item...I am better than the back burner!)
Family/Household-
a. Make a weekly menu plan (again)
b. Make weekly trips to the grocery store (again)
c. Have a family game/activity night 2x/month
d. Schedule a date night in 1x/month and date night out 1x/month
e. Arrange visits to in-laws and grandad 1x/month
f. Visit with mom at least 1x/week
g. Invite mom and dad over at least 1x/month
Financial-
a. Have a weekly "Dave Ramsey" budget meeting with Shannon
b. Increase our emergency fund $x,000 by June 1, 2011
Professional-
a. Register for and complete 2 courses towards SC teaching certification by June 1, 2011
b. Change business name and update website by April 1, 2011
c. Establish accounts with at least 2 local businesses to rep my designs
Mental Health/Personal-
a. Repeat notes to self to daily: "Act the way I want to feel" - Gretchen Rubin The Happiness Project; "Energy begets energy" -Bob Green; "Worry less, act more."- Zig Ziglar
b. Read at least 6 fiction books this year (sad, I know.)
Social-
a. Send cards and/or gifts/make phone calls to family and close friends on birthdays/special occasions
b. Have play dates/sleep-overs for my boys at least 1x/month
c. Schedule dinner (in or out) with friends at least 1x/month
Community Service-
a. Get involved with an out reach mission at our church this year
b. Send boys to collect for Harvest Hope at least 2x this year

And there you have it!

With your support, I can be held accountable. With your prayers, I will hopefully be successful.

XO