As I told you all last year, I am not one for having resolutions for the new year. I think you can get a fresh start whenever. We have an amazing God who gives us a new hour, day, week, month and year. With that said though I am excited to see 2013 leave; for us it was a crummy year. Loss of a friend and our pastor, moving 2 times (and yet we will have to do it again in June), Mondo losing his job, losing our church. Just a crummy, crummy year. I do look back at the positives, finding a new church home, Mackenzie walking and talking, finding a new dream and vision for our us, friends who reached out and helped us in dark times and more. I am excited and hesitant of year 2014. I do know that we love an amazing God who wants to bless us and see us succeed. This year will also bring about a lot of changes but, hopefully for the good. Mondo and I have sat down a wrote a list of goals for the next year. I wanted to give you a few tips. So pull out those ambitious goals and lets have a look.
I learned this working at Costco when we had to do our own one year employee reviews. I HATE those, and I am so glad they don't do them anymore. After a year at Costco we would have to write down our S.M.A.R.T. goals for the next year and then sit down with a manager to discuss them. The S.M.A.R.T. part of the goals was something I have taken with me into my real world a.k.a. home and ministry life.
S- specific. Make sure your goals are specific. Sorry, healthier lifestyle doesn't count. Make it something like I will eat a huge salad in place of a meal once a week, or lose 10 lbs by 2015, pay off 2 credit cards, save x amount of money.
M- measurable. Spend less can't count as a goal if you don't know how much you spent last year. Set a budget and determine I will save x amount of money a month. Instead of go to gym more; say I will run a mile by June. How will you know when your goal is accomplished?
A- attainable. Be realistic people you will never look like Jennifer Aniston. That's good!! You are you, look like you!! So set a goal that will still keep you, you! If your goals are too challenging you will burn out and quit before you get there. Let's keep the positive changes going make them attainable.
R- realistic. Feels like a repeat of the last one, so it must be important. What is something you are willing and able to work toward. Are you really willing to give up sugar? How about instead you will keep the sweets to one day a week, or only have so many grams of sugar a week. Can you really go a whole year with no new clothes? Instead make it so you only buy x amount a month.
T- Timely. If you still want to keep your big goals break them down into smaller time goals. Such as lose 50 lbs by 2015, by losing 4 lbs a month.
One of my goals I had last year, and I missed it by one book! Is to read a non-fiction book once a month. I love this Empty Shelf Challenge given by John Acuff. Essentially you empty a shelf on your bookcase. Every time you read a book in 2014 you place it on your empty shelf, trying to fill your shelf by the end of the year. I want to do this but, since we are moving in 6 months I feel it would be in vain. I would also have to put some empty cereal boxes on the shelf for the ones I read on my kindle app. Next year I am trying this.
I also really like this 52 week saving plan. Mondo and I tried it once, the trick is to not take it back out of the box. A friend of mine changed it a little and she x's out the amount she put in. So if one week she has extra she puts that in.
Here is the picture she took:
I think visualizing stuff helps make it more accomplish-able. Spell check says that isn't a word but, it is now!! Anyways, I like this idea too for weight loss.
Go make those lists and check them twice. Let's make 2014 the best 2014 ever!! Make positive changes that will stick!
Your new year cheerleader,
Dorinda
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