Okay, so I’m one of those checklist addicts that gets overly giddy at the prospect of checking things off my to do list. Like, no joke, I will put “wake up” on my list so that I can feel awesome and productive first thing in the morning. I… I really wish I were joking. haha!
As fanatical as that may sound, in all seriousness, I firmly believe in goal setting and constantly striving to better oneself, all the time, every day. So I’m regularly setting myself daily, weekly and monthly goals. I know, I know. Me and my lists. My dozens and dozens of lists. (I make OCD look awesome, I know!)
Anyway, since I am a resolution setting list-aholic, setting New Years Resolutions is obviously a big deal for me. It’s the MEGA LIST. The list of all lists. The, “Do This Or Forever Fail At Life” list.
Now every year I try to set resolutions for the Mind, the Body, and the Spirit. Just like having a balanced diet, any goals at self-improvement and wellness should take the whole being into account, not just one aspect.
Last year, I failed majorly in my resolutions, but I don’t feel too horrible about it. Why? Because each and every “failure” was really just an unrealistic expectation being a new mommy and Navy wife. At the time I made the resolutions, my daughter was a stationary two month old and we had not yet embarked on the cross country traveling the Navy would require of our family. So my resolutions were doomed from the start, without my really realizing it at the time. So I’m not feeling too down about it all. (My, how being a mommy changes you!)
For instance, my resolution “Keep a written prayer journal”? Yeah, I’m lucky if I can highlight a passage in my Bible without Tessa fighting me for the ink pen and scribbling baby doodles all over the New Testament. The resolution, “Go on the South Beach Diet”? That was out the window the moment I got pregnant again – pregnancy cravings are no freaking joke! My resolution “Go hiking once a week”? Easy to achieve while in Florida, minutes from lush beachside hiking trails, but nigh impossible now that the Navy has us in the middle of flat agricultural Central California.
So anyway, I’m setting new resolutions this year – many of them very similar to my previous resolutions – but in a (hopefully) far more achievable with a toddler and a newborn format.
So enough of my blabbering. On with my resolutions!
Mind –
Read one informational, home or self-improvement book for every fun, fiction or fantasy book I read.
I am a book-aholic. Years ago I had set a daily goal to read at least 25 pages a day, and with rare exceptions (traveling, holidays, busy days) I have stuck to this resolution religiously. So I go through books fairly quickly. The reading part isn’t hard, even with a rambunctious toddler. But I figure I should make a point to change up the content of my reading. As a new mom, a new homeowner and a newbie at green and healthy living lifestyles, I want to make a point of reading at least one improvement and informational book for each fun and frivolous entertainment book I read. This should be an easy resolution, and one that will pay off in knowledge in know-how (hopefully!).
Read at least one book a day with my daughter.
I read books to Tessa quite frequently at the moment, but I don’t have a book reading routine down with her just yet. Mostly I read her books as she brings them to me, or whenever we pick up a new title at a thrift store or through a book review program, but as a rapidly growing 15 month old, I think it’s time to make a major point of book reading as a family being a habit. Whether at bedtime or before nap time, or just for fun, I’m going to make it a point to read one board book a day with my daughter!
Begin writing down (even if in tweets or status updates) inspirational quotes that motivate me.
This is kind of a repeat of last years failed resolution. I had originally resolved to write down inspirational quotes in a physical journal. But having a baby? HA! So I’m going to tweak it a bit. Tweets and status updates (easier to do than scramble for a pen and my journal) are now the goal. This resolution is important to me because I used to gather up quotes as a teenager and I was amazed at how taking the time to write down quotes – whether they were funny, profound, spiritual, political or just plain cute – helped me to absorb, enjoy and inadvertently memorize the things I wrote. Also inspirational, feel good tidbits are a ready pick me up.
Body –
Drink one glass of water for every non-water drink I consume.
I struggle with this resolution so hard. And I seriously debated about whether I should even jump on this one, since I pretty much hate drinking water and this will be a HARD resolution to keep. But with all of my other resolutions being so EASY, I can bite off on a challenge, right? So instead of setting “X amount of glasses a day” type resolutions, I’m just going to make a point of drinking one glass of water for every cup of coffee, tea, juice or kombucha I drink. Should be easy right? *nervous chuckle*
(After the baby is born) – Switch to a strict whole and minimally processed foods ONLY diet until I reach my ideal weight.
I did this when I first met my husband, and I lost 50 pounds in just 8 months. So I KNOW I can do this again. I know it’s not easy, and it requires a lot of forethought. But it’s do-able, and the rewards are WELL worth the effort. Since having Tessa and now being pregnant with Thyme, my cravings are downright uncontrollable, so the pounds have been packing on. But once I pop out this princess, I’m going to dive right in and take my body and health back, dammit!
(After the baby is born) – Start a daily stretching routine and a twice weekly workout routine at the gym.
I’ve never really done the “go to the gym” routine. So this is uncharted territory for me. But I am DETERMINED to take my body back after these pregnancies, and with cool and fun classes at our local gym like “Bollywood Dancing” and “Hip Hop Kickboxing”, (and childcare to boot!) I don’t foresee this being too hard to stick to.
Spirit –
Start a daily devotional and Bible study with my husband.
Jonathan and I already read devotionals together on occasion, but it’s kind of hit and miss. So we’re going to make a point of doing a devotional – if even for five minutes – once a day, before bedtime.
Pray with Tessa every night before bed (even if she is already asleep).
Again, this happens semi-regularly already, but it needs to be made a bigger priority. Too often she falls asleep before we settle down for the night, and then I keep my prayers silent and to myself. But I want Tessa raised knowing that mom and dad pray for and with her every night.
Start regularly going to church.
I have yet to find a church that I love here in the Central Valley, and I use that as a kind of excuse to stay home and work on my to-do list around the house. But it’s reaching a point that I need to either suck it up and get involved in a church community with all it’s flaws, or redouble my efforts to find a good church that meets my rather exacting criteria (must not shy away from controversial issues, must be active in the local and global community, must have a great children’s program, must have small groups in the evening so we can attend, etc., etc.) Whichever route I take, I think making church a priority is a must at this point.
So those are my resolutions for 2015! Share some of yours below, I’d love to hear some of yours!
Oh my goodness! I love finding other list fanatics! Awesome!
You have some fabulous goals! Good for you.
I do a monthly Body, Mind, and Soul {and everything else} series and I love reflecting on what’s going on for me and home I can improve in the following months. It is important to encompass all these areas in our “goal setting” because this is what makes up us as individuals.
Aren’t whole food amazing?! This is on my to do/goal list for 2014 too… I need to buckle down and let go of the sugars too.
Thank you for sharing… I look forward to reading your nuggets of inspiration.
Those are awesome goals, Gingi, especially reading to the kiddos, which I think you mentioned wanting to do over at my blog. I fail nearly all my resolutions as well, but I don’t berate myself either. At least I tried right? Hehe.
This year, I actually wrote down blogging goals, which was more fun to do than the typical lose weight or eat healthy goals I have.
I’m currently sick and have been staying away from sweets, so I think I’ll use this as a natural carry-over to the new year as a resolution!
Other than that, I plan to keep doing what I’m doing, move more, maybe walk every day at work, little things to improve my life!
Yes I did! I loved that post with all the childrens books!
I also read your blogging goals resolution post, I loved it! I know you can accomplish them.. you’ve got me as an avid reader, so hopefully in some small way I am helping you? Yeah, let’s go with that, it makes me feel special.. haha! I still need to set myself some blogging goals.
Some really good points! I want to make more time to read books for pleasure as well. I did not read as many as I wanted in 2014. Also my goals are to be happy, to follow my dreams, to learn something new (new language, sewing). I hope you will find lots of time to read some great books!
Ohhhh, learn sewing!! It’s so much fun, so rewarding, and so useful! I’d love to see what you come up with too. I vote for more reading and sewing lessons for you lol
Great resolutions! I think the last one is especially important. It’s easy to say we can keep our faith going on our own, but I know if I’m not ‘plugged in’ to a community of like-minded people, it takes it’s toll on me. It can be hard to find the right fit, but keep at it! (And remember that no church will be perfect because it’s made up of imperfect people).
Yeah, I think it was C. S. lewis that said we shouldn’t fall into the sin of being church connoisseurs.. I’m just feeling really homesick for our last church in Florida.. It’s going to be hard to find one like it again! But I’m certain there is a church body in our community that God wants us to be a part of, and I need to just suck it up and go find it! Hehe.. Anyhoo, Hope you had a lovely New Year!
Awesome resolutions, Beautiful. I have almost the same desires as you, I just don’t like to class em as resolutions, because I get disappointed in myself when I don’t fulfill em. So I just want to be a better me! 🙂
#HappyNEwYear!
I love lists too and crossing off the items that were on it. I still make informal lists when I’m cleaning for example – I write down everything I want to do and then as I progress with my chores, I cross things off. It feels pretty great. At work, I usually make a list of things I need to do that day and do the same. It makes me feel more in control.
Lots of luck with your resolutions. I’m still working on a few but I’m usually so bad at sticking to them, so I’m taking baby steps!
If you’re into checklists, you should check out some of the apps out there for smart phones that make organizing checklists easy.. Your mentioning checklists for cleaning reminded me.. Haha. I have checklists for every kind of cleaning day! It makes me feel super productive send I end up getting far more done when I’m ripping through a list hehe.. Happy new year to you!
I love your resolutions! They are so well thought out. I say you can definitely accomplish all of them. I would love to read more books this year. I read A LOT of board books with my toddler. I was a kindergarten teacher, so we have a lot of them and it’s one of my favorite things. We do it before every nap and bedtime (at least one, usually more). I think that’s an easy way to make sure you are reading at least one book a day with your daughter. Good luck with your resolutions. Happy New Year!
That’s so awesome, I bet having experience as a kindergarten teacher makes being a mommy sooo much easier! I have pretty much zero experience with kids haha.. But so far being a mommy feels like it’s just natural! But yeah, I have high hopes that I can get everything on my resolution list accomplished this year! Hope you have a happy new year!
Wow! That’s an awesome list, good luck with your goals.
☆:*´¨`*:.•.¸¸.•´¯`•.♥ Happy New Year ♥.•´¯`•.¸¸.•..:*´¨`*:.☆
hugs
Lenya FashionDreams&Lifestyle
Wow, great goals! Mine is “embarrassingly” simple. By the end of this year, I want to have learned the Japanese Alphabet, Katakana and Hirigana. I need to buckle down and do it, whether I feel like it or not. Sometime, I think it better if you accept that you don’t want to do it, then do it anyway. (Like how Moriarty told Sherlock how it was going to hurt but accept it, terrible comparison lol.)
LOL, that is so awesome because I had that exact New Years resolution like three years ago!! I did succeed, but I hate to say it… I have forgotten a lot of what I learned. lol!! So what inspired that resolution for you? Me, I want to go to Japan soon! So it seemed like a good goal to have, hehe..
I struggle so much with the water drinking one. And why?? It’s easy. It’s free. We’re lucky to have fresh and clean water. And yet I can’t do it.
I’ll have to change that.
My resolution is to put into practice all that I learned last year. I just learned a lot but I didn’t do a lot about it!
Water is just sooo PLAIN! I am a taste gal, I need flavor explosions in my mouth to feel like a drink is worthwhile, haha. I bought an expensive water filter last year and it inspired me to drink water for a couple of months.. it was amazing! Then I just kind of slowly tapered off. I’m going to stick to a water habit this year though, I mean it! Your resolution sounds healthy and attainable! Wishing you all luck in the New Year!
You are so full and bubbling with spirit and energy that I am certain you’ll keep to your set resolutions this year.
Me? Neither am I much for resolutions, nor for lists (that’s hubby’s job;)). The lists I do make and use are on Evernote, so I have access to them wherever and whenever. As for resolutions – I have started to make some changes this year. You can read a little of ‘the behind’ here. Basically I want to spend more time to focus on and create more (digital photo) art. Does not sound like much, but for me it is. I hope to be seeing you around, so we can ‘talk’ a bit more about e.g. wine&cheese + anime 😉
Ahhhh, I’m so excited you stopped by my blog! I’m looking forward to keeping in touch and I’ll for sure check out your link to read more about your upcoming new year changes.. But wine and cheese and anime? Seriously, new BFF. Lol 😉
I like how you broke your goals down into categories! I am starting to make SMART Goals and did something similar, but your categorization makes much more sense than mine.
I would LOVE to read to my daughter more (I think she is just a couple months younger than Tessa), but we seem to have the opposite going for us. We have a bedtime routine down that includes reading, but if I try to read to her any other time of the day she’ll stay for like a page then wiggle out of my lap or crawl away. Apparently I wasn’t so interested in books when I was her age but love reading now, so I still have hope that one day she’ll enjoy it too 🙂
And while I’m not a very spiritual or religious person, it is a goal of mine this year to go to synagogue more regularly and find one that I really connect with, especially now that Eve is getting older. I hope that you find a church that you like, they all sound like reasonable requirements to me 🙂
Yeah, I am the list QUEEN.. even my lists have lists. LOL! (Wish I were joking…)
And you would THINK that my church requirements sound reasonable but OMG it seems like every non-denominational Christian church these days is just out to entertain and hold mini Sunday concerts. It’s so frustrating to find anything with any real substance these days.. 🙁
Wow, so I have let me count…. 18 different lists under reminders on my iphone and two through my Cozy app. It drives my husband crazy and he says the lists set me up for failure when I can’t complete them, but he doesn’t get that I need to complete the lists each day, I don’t. They are just reminders for me to work on things through out the day or week. I am so happy to meet another list maker. Basically with me, if its not on the list, it doesn’t get done! I like your resolutions. I want to start a bible study with my five year old and we too need to find a new church. The one we were just at did not like that we did not give a 10 percent tithe, so we had to leave. I hope to find a church that focuses more on the new testament not old testament law. Good luck in your resolutions! Hope to have you link up on Saturday!
Last year, I decided to go the way of the word and choose “One Word” instead of anything else. Last year, it was CONSISTENCY. This year, it’s more of a phrase of “BE UNCOMFORTABLE”.
You have great and realistic resolutions! Funny because in my recent post, I wrote that I haven’t written or made a concrete list of resolutions because I’m taking it a little light this time. That doesn’t mean I won’t have goals though because like you, goal-setting has always been ME. I chose my word for the year instead which is ENJOY. Now I truly wish you all the best in fulfilling your goals. 🙂
Oh my goodness! I love finding other list fanatics! Awesome!
You have some fabulous goals! Good for you.
I do a monthly Body, Mind, and Soul {and everything else} series and I love reflecting on what’s going on for me and home I can improve in the following months. It is important to encompass all these areas in our “goal setting” because this is what makes up us as individuals.
Aren’t whole food amazing?! This is on my to do/goal list for 2014 too… I need to buckle down and let go of the sugars too.
Thank you for sharing… I look forward to reading your nuggets of inspiration.
Happy New Year!
xoxo
Ohhhh, that kind of blog post is right up my alley! I can’t wait to see your upcoming posts over the following year!
Happy New Year new friend! Let’s keep each other accountable on the whole foods front, yeah? ^_^
Yes! Let’s keep each other accountable. Sugars is a biggie for me. Especially after Christmas. Eeek! Gotta let it go!
Thanks again– I’m so glad we’ve connected in bloggy land!
xoxo
<3
Great list! I’m hope you are able to accomplish everything that you want to! Happy New Year!
http://girlandthepolkadot.blogspot.com/
Thanks! I’m certainly going to try! Hehe!
Fantastic list of resolutions! I especially love the reading to your daughter one! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you too!! I hope you have a great one!! ^_^
Those are awesome goals, Gingi, especially reading to the kiddos, which I think you mentioned wanting to do over at my blog. I fail nearly all my resolutions as well, but I don’t berate myself either. At least I tried right? Hehe.
This year, I actually wrote down blogging goals, which was more fun to do than the typical lose weight or eat healthy goals I have.
I’m currently sick and have been staying away from sweets, so I think I’ll use this as a natural carry-over to the new year as a resolution!
Other than that, I plan to keep doing what I’m doing, move more, maybe walk every day at work, little things to improve my life!
Yes I did! I loved that post with all the childrens books!
I also read your blogging goals resolution post, I loved it! I know you can accomplish them.. you’ve got me as an avid reader, so hopefully in some small way I am helping you? Yeah, let’s go with that, it makes me feel special.. haha! I still need to set myself some blogging goals.
Some really good points! I want to make more time to read books for pleasure as well. I did not read as many as I wanted in 2014. Also my goals are to be happy, to follow my dreams, to learn something new (new language, sewing). I hope you will find lots of time to read some great books!
Ohhhh, learn sewing!! It’s so much fun, so rewarding, and so useful! I’d love to see what you come up with too. I vote for more reading and sewing lessons for you lol
Great resolutions! I think the last one is especially important. It’s easy to say we can keep our faith going on our own, but I know if I’m not ‘plugged in’ to a community of like-minded people, it takes it’s toll on me. It can be hard to find the right fit, but keep at it! (And remember that no church will be perfect because it’s made up of imperfect people).
Yeah, I think it was C. S. lewis that said we shouldn’t fall into the sin of being church connoisseurs.. I’m just feeling really homesick for our last church in Florida.. It’s going to be hard to find one like it again! But I’m certain there is a church body in our community that God wants us to be a part of, and I need to just suck it up and go find it! Hehe.. Anyhoo, Hope you had a lovely New Year!
Awesome resolutions, Beautiful. I have almost the same desires as you, I just don’t like to class em as resolutions, because I get disappointed in myself when I don’t fulfill em. So I just want to be a better me! 🙂
#HappyNEwYear!
missymayification.blogspot.co.uk
Yeah, I usually get down on myself when I fail in my resolutions.. Except this last year I’m giving myself a free pass, hehe! 😉 Happy New Year!
Awesome resolutions, Beautiful. I’m hope you are able to accomplish everything that you want to. Happy New Year!
Thank you and same to you! Happy new year!
I love lists too and crossing off the items that were on it. I still make informal lists when I’m cleaning for example – I write down everything I want to do and then as I progress with my chores, I cross things off. It feels pretty great. At work, I usually make a list of things I need to do that day and do the same. It makes me feel more in control.
Lots of luck with your resolutions. I’m still working on a few but I’m usually so bad at sticking to them, so I’m taking baby steps!
If you’re into checklists, you should check out some of the apps out there for smart phones that make organizing checklists easy.. Your mentioning checklists for cleaning reminded me.. Haha. I have checklists for every kind of cleaning day! It makes me feel super productive send I end up getting far more done when I’m ripping through a list hehe.. Happy new year to you!
I love your resolutions! They are so well thought out. I say you can definitely accomplish all of them. I would love to read more books this year. I read A LOT of board books with my toddler. I was a kindergarten teacher, so we have a lot of them and it’s one of my favorite things. We do it before every nap and bedtime (at least one, usually more). I think that’s an easy way to make sure you are reading at least one book a day with your daughter. Good luck with your resolutions. Happy New Year!
That’s so awesome, I bet having experience as a kindergarten teacher makes being a mommy sooo much easier! I have pretty much zero experience with kids haha.. But so far being a mommy feels like it’s just natural! But yeah, I have high hopes that I can get everything on my resolution list accomplished this year! Hope you have a happy new year!
You too! <3
Wow! That’s an awesome list, good luck with your goals.
☆:*´¨`*:.•.¸¸.•´¯`•.♥ Happy New Year ♥.•´¯`•.¸¸.•..:*´¨`*:.☆
hugs
Lenya
FashionDreams&Lifestyle
Wow, great goals! Mine is “embarrassingly” simple. By the end of this year, I want to have learned the Japanese Alphabet, Katakana and Hirigana. I need to buckle down and do it, whether I feel like it or not. Sometime, I think it better if you accept that you don’t want to do it, then do it anyway. (Like how Moriarty told Sherlock how it was going to hurt but accept it, terrible comparison lol.)
LOL, that is so awesome because I had that exact New Years resolution like three years ago!! I did succeed, but I hate to say it… I have forgotten a lot of what I learned. lol!! So what inspired that resolution for you? Me, I want to go to Japan soon! So it seemed like a good goal to have, hehe..
I struggle so much with the water drinking one. And why?? It’s easy. It’s free. We’re lucky to have fresh and clean water. And yet I can’t do it.
I’ll have to change that.
My resolution is to put into practice all that I learned last year. I just learned a lot but I didn’t do a lot about it!
Water is just sooo PLAIN! I am a taste gal, I need flavor explosions in my mouth to feel like a drink is worthwhile, haha. I bought an expensive water filter last year and it inspired me to drink water for a couple of months.. it was amazing! Then I just kind of slowly tapered off. I’m going to stick to a water habit this year though, I mean it! Your resolution sounds healthy and attainable! Wishing you all luck in the New Year!
You are so full and bubbling with spirit and energy that I am certain you’ll keep to your set resolutions this year.
Me? Neither am I much for resolutions, nor for lists (that’s hubby’s job;)). The lists I do make and use are on Evernote, so I have access to them wherever and whenever. As for resolutions – I have started to make some changes this year. You can read a little of ‘the behind’ here. Basically I want to spend more time to focus on and create more (digital photo) art. Does not sound like much, but for me it is. I hope to be seeing you around, so we can ‘talk’ a bit more about e.g. wine&cheese + anime 😉
Ahhhh, I’m so excited you stopped by my blog! I’m looking forward to keeping in touch and I’ll for sure check out your link to read more about your upcoming new year changes.. But wine and cheese and anime? Seriously, new BFF. Lol 😉
I like how you broke your goals down into categories! I am starting to make SMART Goals and did something similar, but your categorization makes much more sense than mine.
I would LOVE to read to my daughter more (I think she is just a couple months younger than Tessa), but we seem to have the opposite going for us. We have a bedtime routine down that includes reading, but if I try to read to her any other time of the day she’ll stay for like a page then wiggle out of my lap or crawl away. Apparently I wasn’t so interested in books when I was her age but love reading now, so I still have hope that one day she’ll enjoy it too 🙂
And while I’m not a very spiritual or religious person, it is a goal of mine this year to go to synagogue more regularly and find one that I really connect with, especially now that Eve is getting older. I hope that you find a church that you like, they all sound like reasonable requirements to me 🙂
Yeah, I am the list QUEEN.. even my lists have lists. LOL! (Wish I were joking…)
And you would THINK that my church requirements sound reasonable but OMG it seems like every non-denominational Christian church these days is just out to entertain and hold mini Sunday concerts. It’s so frustrating to find anything with any real substance these days.. 🙁
Anyhoo, happy 2015 my friend!
What lovely resolutions, I really need to try to stick to mine this year!
x
Taylor | taylored-beauty.blogspot.co.uk
Best of luck to you!! ^_^
Wow, so I have let me count…. 18 different lists under reminders on my iphone and two through my Cozy app. It drives my husband crazy and he says the lists set me up for failure when I can’t complete them, but he doesn’t get that I need to complete the lists each day, I don’t. They are just reminders for me to work on things through out the day or week. I am so happy to meet another list maker. Basically with me, if its not on the list, it doesn’t get done! I like your resolutions. I want to start a bible study with my five year old and we too need to find a new church. The one we were just at did not like that we did not give a 10 percent tithe, so we had to leave. I hope to find a church that focuses more on the new testament not old testament law. Good luck in your resolutions! Hope to have you link up on Saturday!
Yay, crazy list makers unite!! hahaha… And yes, I will be at your link up! So very glad we connected and I look forward to following your blog! <3
Thank you for inviting me over. Love the post.
I have resolutions, a lot of them. You can check out my incredibly lengthy list at: http://www.100lbcountdown.com/personal/first-quarter-updated-goal-list-2014/
Last year, I decided to go the way of the word and choose “One Word” instead of anything else. Last year, it was CONSISTENCY. This year, it’s more of a phrase of “BE UNCOMFORTABLE”.
Everyone keeps choosing words of the year.. I wish I’d thought to do that! It seems like such a great idea.. maybe next year? hehe..
You have great and realistic resolutions! Funny because in my recent post, I wrote that I haven’t written or made a concrete list of resolutions because I’m taking it a little light this time. That doesn’t mean I won’t have goals though because like you, goal-setting has always been ME. I chose my word for the year instead which is ENJOY. Now I truly wish you all the best in fulfilling your goals. 🙂
Love the word of the year!! Thank you for the kind words, and I wish YOU all the best in the coming year as well! <3