Tuesday, January 6, 2015

2015 Goals & Resolutions


2015 is going to be an amazing year, and I am really excited to turn over a new leaf! I am sure there are going to be many challenges, and we don’t have much on our calendar yet as far as travels or plans, but I am hopeful that this will be our best year yet! Things are a little fuzzy for our future after May, so I’m sure that will take some patience and trust in God for the next step!

When I wrote down my resolutions last week, I made four columns: Emotional, Spiritual, Relational, and Physical. I know that ideally, you’re only supposed to choose one or two resolutions because it’s impossible to stick to too many changes. I admit that I will probably fail at a few of these things, but I’m just hoping for progress on all of them. I want to set the bar high, and see where that takes me :)

EMOTIONAL:

Simplify and stay organized!

I’m someone who thrives off of clean spaces and good organization. I get overwhelmed almost every day when I walk into the kitchen and my counters are full. Similarly, I dislike when I wake up in the morning, and there are still toys scattered everywhere. I first need to simplify and get rid of the things that we don’t really need. Secondly, I am going to make a chores chart so that I can keep a cleaner and more visually-peaceful home.

Control my reactions.

I have never been an angry person in my life, but since having kids, I find that my temper is flaring more often than I’m proud of. I’ve been devouring books about this topic, and I am learning more positive ways to deal with these difficult moments.

SPIRITUAL:

Spend more time in the Word.

I have a lot of trouble putting this into practice. I know that we need to be reading scripture daily in order to grow in our faith, but for some reason, I will start to read, and I will fall off the wagon within a week. If you have a recommendation for a good reading-the-Bible-everyday book or program, feel free to leave me a comment! I absolutely love “Jesus Calling”, and I always have a Christian book on my nightstand, but I should really be focusing on some solid verses.

Pray continuously.

In order to be successful in any of these resolutions, I have to soak all of them in prayer. I can’t accomplish this all on my own. I really need God’s help to make any significant improvements to myself. If I am always talking to Him, if I am always asking for His guidance, I know that not only can I succeed, I will also be much happier and more grounded. I’m going to put some visual reminders around the house to remember all of the people on my prayer list.

RELATIONAL:

Be intentional with friends. And make more playdates!

I have always been a girl who waits for an invitation. I am not the one who makes things happen. I’ve spent quite a few years expecting friends to call me and make plans, and I get disappointed when that doesn’t happen. So this year, I’m putting away my fear of rejection, and I am going to be the inviter. I hope to schedule at least one playdate a week in 2015!

Get down on the floor and play.

When I’m at home, I’m always bouncing from thing to thing. It’s rare for me to set everything aside and just play with the boys on the floor. I’m making a huge goal to PLAY more and be really focused on Nolan and Ephraim. Sort of related to that, I would like to start scheduling Nolan’s day. For those of you whose kids go to three-year-old preschool, what sorts of things do they do every day? (I have subbed in preschool before, but I’m forgetting now!)




PHYSICAL:

Get showered (or just dressed) every morning.

Goodness, I feel like in order to tell you all of goals, I have to admit all of my weaknesses! I know that I’ve talked a lot of times about how as a stay-at-home mom, it feels so good to get dressed, even when you have no plans to go anywhere. There was one point last year when I announced that I was going to get dressed before 10 every day. Yeah, that didn’t last long. The reality is that once Steve goes to work, I can’t leave my two boys to go upstairs and shower. One will get into trouble, and the other will scream until I return (and also get into trouble). So there are definitely mornings where this isn’t possible. But I can at least grab them, bring them up to my room where I can watch them, and change out of my pajamas. I feel SO much better when I’ve put a little bit of effort into my appearance. I’m more productive, and it’s also way easier to leave the house if the opportunity arises. :)

Eat well, and exercise of course :)

This is last on my list because it’s not completely on my radar right now, but I know that I need to be getting my heart rate up a few times a week. Since January is our coldest month, I won’t be doing anything outside, but I can spend some time on our stationary bike, and vow to take more walks in the spring. As for eating well, I’m still breastfeeding, so we’re doing okay on calories. I’ve been buying as many natural, preservative-free foods as I can find. I do need to limit my sugar, because I’m one of those people who would rather snack all day on candy than eat real food. :)

I think that’s everything!

What about you? What are your resolutions for 2015?

Linking up with Andrea today! Can’t wait to peek at everyone else’s goals :)

16 comments:

  1. I can relate to so many of these! I feel so much better when I'm not in my pjs so I always get dressed as well. My reactions are waaay more now with kids and clean eating needs to start back being a priority to name only a couple. Happy new year!

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  2. Such great resolutions! I was reading them and thought, oh that could have been one of mine, for most of yours! I have and love Jesus Calling as well, but do not read it often enough! I didn't blog about it, but I am putting that on my personal list today :) Happy New Year!

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  3. These are amazing resolutions! I especially love the one about controlling our reactions that I'll be adding that to my list as well. Try giving your little one some sort of craft or special activity every day, a time to sing songs and dance around, and some simple learning like colors/ABCs/etc... I'm sure he will love it! Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to keeping up with your family in 2015!

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  4. Always love your posts, girl! Would love for you to grab our button and join our new weekly "Tuesday Talk" link-party that just went live!
    Elizabeth
    www.allkindsofthingsblog.com

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  5. Great goals Rachel! One of mine is to be more present with Xavier -- get on the floor, etc. Good luck with them all!

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  6. I highly recommend the daily Bible reading (well, it's Mon-Fri) that is online...IF: Equip. I LOVE this site! Sign up for the emails and each day (M-F), you'll receive what verses to read out of the book we are studying. We study one book of the Bible at a time and we are almost finished with Genesis. After reading, there is a 2-min video of other Christian women (Jen Hatmaker, Jennie Allen...just to name a few) that discuss what they gathered from the day's reading. I also love reading the comments from other women about how the verses spoke to them. It has helped me dive into the Bible like no other! I hope you'll check it out!! IF:Equip started last February and since that time, we've gone through about four or five books of the Bible at a very easy pace. Let me know what you think of the website! www.ifequip.com
    Blessings! Angela Banae

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  7. I struggle with the same thing regarding spending time in the word. I picked up on a blogpost by Narci @ Grace and Love blog regarding the Siesta Scripture Memory blog team. I'm giving it a try...basically it holds you accountable to memorize 24 scriptures a year and you choose the verse each month. Here is the link if you are interested. http://blog.lproof.org/2014/12/siesta-scripture-memory-team-2015-instructions-and-spiral-information.html/comment-page-26

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  8. I love how you divided this up into categories!

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  9. Rachel, it's crazy how similar our goals are this year. We're in the same phase of life and I totally feel you on many of these topics. I too felt like I was having to explain my weaknesses to explain my goals :) If you find a good way to read the Bible in a more organized, structured way, let us know. My husband says that if you read 4 pages a day, you can finish it in a year (his goal this year). Although I'm sure that depends on the Bible. And I too put exercise last on my to-do's because of breastfeeding (at least that's my excuse now...we'll see when I'm done if I workout). :) Thank goodness God created our bodies to burn a lot of calories breastfeeding!

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  10. Being a mom to small kids, I can relate to so many of your goals! I'm keeping my resolutions a little simpler this year and just hoping to watch less TV after the kids are in bed. I had a hard time finding time to get myself ready in the mornings when my husband had to leave early for work and while it might not be the best solution, putting on a half hour TV show for my kids worked for us. I always picked something I knew they would pay attention to (nothing new or too educational, just fun) and used that time to get myself ready for the day. We still do this even though my husband is home in the morning now, in part because it helps us limit the kids screen time. Our house rule is one show a day and we can remind them of that when they ask for TV later.
    Good luck on your resolutions!
    Amber at OurCharmedLife.net

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  11. For your resolution on your reactions have you read the book unglued by lysa terkhurst? It's really good. Your blog is always an encouragement to me. Happy new year!

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  12. Rachel, I love your categories !!! Isn't it the truth that we must admit our weaknesses to grow better... I have faith that you will do well in your goals. Hope your 2015 is GREAT !!!

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  13. I love your goal to get down on the floor and play more with the kids. Enjoy this time as much as possible! Happy New Year!

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    Replies
    1. Have you read "Good and Angry" by Turansky? I found it so helpful in dealing with emotions in a biblical way. I love your little corner of the blog world. Keep loving God with your whole heart!

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  14. So sorry, Maren! I didn't intend to post under your comment. ��

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  15. I've joined with #SheReadsTruth in reading the Bible in 365 days. Today is day 8 and I have to say this is the best thing I could do. I, like you, was eager to read the word but always found myself skipping around and not being very consistent. On this app (website) they provide you with the calendar and day by day reading. I pray that I stick with it and make it through. I hope you find this helpful! I love reading your blog. Thank you for sharing :)

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Thank you so much for your comments! I enjoy reading each one!

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