Sunday, December 29, 2013

New Year... New Me?

Ok so maybe I won't be a completely new person, but a new year is a good time to start making changes that need to be made. I know everyone makes resolutions but how often do we stick to them? I am going to try REALLY hard to stick to them this year. So, in order to hold myself accountable,  I am linking up with Jessica over at First Grade Nest and sharing them here. I am even going to revisit them every few months and let everyone know how I am doing. Accountability people! We all need it every now and again!


Let's expand on these resolutions shall we...

You can see that most of my resolutions are personal as opposed to professional. I have those goals too, but this year, I am focusing on me. I am going to share my professional goals too, but this year is all about ME (and my family is part of me)!
I want to lose weight and get healthier. Well... so does half of the world. That is why gyms will be jam packed in January. With our crazy schedules, joining a gym is not an option for me right now. But my goal is to lose a little over 20 pounds by my 30th birthday. In order to do that, I HAVE to be healthier, so the two go hand in hand. I am giving up pop (yes, I call it pop) to start. That is a lot of calories. I am also going to make myself a little workout calendar. I am good when I have a calendar that I can cross off. If I can cross something off of a list, I am more inclined to do it. I plan to make it realistic. Nothing that requires hours of time that I don't have. Nothing that I will be too tired to do.

We need to save more money. Who doesn't?! I have been quite a shopaholic lately. Engaging in retail therapy very often. No more! For many reasons. One- I want our credit cards paid off. The goal is for them all to be paid off by June. Two- We are moving soon and I will not have a job right away. Three- our daughter wants to go back to Disney. We have told her we have to save money, and every time she gets money she puts it in her bank and tells us it is for Disney. (In reality it is for college, but she thinks she is saving her money for Disney too.) We also told her once she is potty trained we will go back. Candy doesn't motivate this girl, but maybe Disney will. We already have some money saved for the trip and are about a third of the way saved. We are going to try the weekly deposit in a jar. Week 1 deposit $1. Week 2 deposit $2. Etc. By the end of the year you have saved over $1300!

Stay organized. I suppose this is professional AND personal. At home we HAVE to keep our house in order. We have to list it for sale soon here and no one wants to look at a house full of clutter. Professionally- I have been pretty good with my organization lately so I just need to keep it up. I have folders upon folders that no one else would even know what to do with. But it works for me.

Read more. Simple enough. I love to read. I own 185 books that I have yet to read. Oh my goodness- typing that out it looks like I am a crazy person. I have a lot of them in ebook format that were free or really really cheap, and when a book is $2 you can't not get it (if it is one you want) because next time you look, the price will have gone up. Yes, it has happened to me more times than I can count. Anyways... my goal is to read one book a week. I know that won't even put a dent into my 185 books (not including the ones I am sure to buy in the next 365 days) but it is a start. I have a mommy blog that I post about books that I read (well I did...before I neglected that blog too). I am going to make it my goal to get back to that. See- accountability!

And my last personal goal- take more pictures. I love my camera and really want to learn more features and how to use it better. The only way to do that is to take pictures. But this goal is two-fold. In order to take pictures, we have to be doing things worthy of picture taking...which will result in me spending more time with my family and less time on work. And that is my ultimate goal this year. Family has to be first!

With that said, I do have some professional goals...
My biggest goal is to do the best I can, when I can. Like I said before, this year is about me and my family. I have taken away too much time from my daughter and husband, so I need to find the balance. Here is how I plan to do that... use every minute of my planning time possible. Get the actual plans done before the weekend so all I have to do on the weekend is prep. Grade papers in the hall during restroom breaks. Spend 1 hour a day (no more, but possibly less) on work at home on weekdays. On a night where Tim is working late and Payton is in bed, that is different, and I might work longer.

A friend gave this analogy to me earlier today...and it really sums everything up for me.
"As an adult- you are juggling so many balls- mommy, wife, teacher, business owner, etc... we have to remember that the only glass ball is family. All the others will bounce back. You have to treat your family like the glass ball." 
And another friend chimed in with
"It isn't worth breaking glass to add in any unnecessary juggling that can't be handled at the moment." 2014 is going to be about making sure that fragile glass ball does not even come close to breaking!

6 comments:

  1. These sound like great goals to me!!!

    Jamie

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  2. Do not feel bad about your 185 books that still need to be read....I have over 400+ sitting in my Kindle. Since I started blogging, I have neglected reading and that is not okay with me. I need to find a balance. Best of luck with all of your goals this year!
    Alison
    Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'

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  3. Good luck with your goals in 2014! I could probably copy every one you picked for yourself.

    I'm your newest follower!
    Jennifer
    Mrs. Laffin's Laughings

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  4. I love your quote from your friend! It is so true...these days will be gone before you know it. Treasure them. Keep that resolution above ALL others. God bless.

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