2013…A Time to Start Anew

As always, I like to do a brief discussion about how I did with my goals from the previous year. You can visit that post here! So recap time…here goes nothing:
1. Volunteer More. CHECK! Thanks to Junior League, I am happy to report I completed this goal. I was able to contribute more at church, too. Wanting to keep this up this year, as well. Giving back always makes me feel good, and just like my parents say, “the more you give, the more you receive”.
2. Lose the Baby Weight. CHECK! It wasn’t easy, but it was oh so worth it. And as you’re all well aware by now, obviously that’ll be another goal for the latter half of 2013 all over again. I hear the second time is much harder so this should be loads of fun (sense the sarcasm?)
3. Get Back in the Kitchen. 1/2 a CHECK…I did cook a lot more in the summer/early fall, but then when the pregnancy tiredness set in with #2, it was back to the easy stuff-pizzas, anything you can pop in the microwave, easy entrees from Trader Joes, and takeout.
4. Don’t Overplan/Schedule My Time. Major FAIL. I am good at scheduling, just not good at saying “no”. I need to spend my time doing things I enjoy and not worrying so much about doing it all. If I miss out on something, so be it. I am horrible at this and I know it.
5. Start My Own Business. FAIL otherwise known as pushed to the backburner until further notice. It’s still there in my mind, and something I absolutely want to do, yet other things like family take precedence right now and I want to fully support Jeff and his career. He is doing incredible things in his role and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

And with that, here is my list of ambitions for 2013…
1. Don’t Get Lazy with My Faith. Keep reading the Bible (it’s amazing how much I’ve learned so far), make attending church a priority, spend time EACH day in prayer (not just at night), start a daily children’s devotional with Caroline, and get involved as much as possible with church activities.
2. Maintain an Organized Life. I have started going through each and every room in our home packing away things into bags and boxes and hauling them off to Goodwill every chance I get…out with the old and in with the new. I always seem to do this right after Christmas because I feel “clutter” everywhere and I am a neat freak. With that, I want to keep organized with everything we have going on…appointments for Caroline, upcoming events with friends/family, weekly dinner menu, etc.
3. De-Stress and Invest Time in What and Who Matters Most. Let’s face it…we all change, we grow, and we lean more about ourselves as the years pass. In 2012, I learned how much can change when you have a baby… I’m happy with where my life is and where it’s going and I’m going to give 110% to the relationships that mean the most. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff and I need to learn to not get so stressed out about trying to maintain a perfect life…remember, there is no such thing as “perfect” 😉
4. Run a 5K and 10K Post Baby #2. I miss running… I’ve been working out again, mixing cardio with weight training, but at the end of the day, I miss my “hobby”. There is something so relaxing about running. I am hoping to get back to that happy place and complete a few races.
5. Start Designing/Building Our Dream Home. Jeff and I have been talking about this topic for quite some time and it seems that at the pace we’re at, we’ll be outgrowing our home before we know it. We have made a few decisions regarding where we’ll build, what our timeline looks like, and what builder we will be using, but the next plan of action is to set those ideas in stone and put pen to paper. This is going to be a long process and I have to tell myself that as to not get overwhelmed, but hopefully by the end of 2013 we will have broken ground and will be on our way to our forever home.

I’ve made a post-it note of these actions and goals and it’s sitting on my desk to help keep me accountable day-in and day-out. Here goes nothing! Do you have a list of similar resolutions or are you taking charge in a different way?? I love to hear what you’re thinking!