Every year I get excited thinking about a fresh start. I don’t think there’s anything magical about January 1st. We can start over at any time (and I often do)! But there’s just something about a new, blank calendar, planner, and journal that excites me.
I love filling in the information for the coming year and anticipating all that might take place. It’s a very hopeful thing!
I’ve been spending the past week mulling over what worked and what didn’t in 2015. One thing that needs to change is the amount of time spent thinking about goals and where we’re headed as a family (it’s something we need to do way more often).
Last year I made some goals. But I didn’t regularly revisit them or revise them. I pretty much forgot about some of them, and a few I gave up on due to a lengthy illness that took over my life for a month or two.
That’s one thing I’m planning to do differently this year. I’m planning to go over my goals at least once a month. I already have them written down and filed in my homemaking binder behind the “goals” tab. I’m also hoping to have a regular time to pray over and discuss family goals with my husband (something we neglected to do regularly last year).
My Goals for 2016
- Love Jesus, seeking Him above all else.
- Love my husband in ways that are meaningful to him.
- Love my children in tangible ways, and lead them to Jesus.
- Gain greater physical health and strength.
- Simplify every area of our home, and make it a peaceful, orderly haven.
- Continue reaching out to others through hospitality in our home.
Action Steps
For each of the above goals, I also have action steps to break each goal into smaller pieces. If I take these steps, little by little, day by day, eventually I should be closer to my goals than when I started! I’ll share some of those below:
1. Love Jesus
- Read through the New Testament.
- Pray daily.
- Memorize/meditate on 1 Bible verse per week.
2. Love my husband
- Go on one overnight trip as a couple (we’ve been doing this the past few years, and it’s soooo good and marriage-building).
- Weekly date nights (including at-home dates).
- Nightly talk time.
- Read 3 books on marriage.
3. Love my children
- Have one-one-one time with each child one day a week (during this time they have my undivided attention as we play games, cook together, or play something else they’d like for me to play with them).
- Have morning devotional time together before school each day.
- Memorize 1 Bible verse per week together.
- Write an affirming, loving note to each child once a week.
- Speak words of love and affirmation to each one daily.
- Plan a fun family night once a week.
4. Gain greater physical health and strength
- Go to bed earlier.
- Be more diligent to plan healthy meals and snacks.
- Exercise 5 days per week (doing Kelly’s Tummy Safe workouts).
- Continue to work on completely healing my diastasis (I am close but not quite there yet).
- Take one day off completely to just rest and rejuvenate.
5. Simplify every area of our home, and make it a peaceful, orderly haven
- De-clutter and eliminate at least 1/3 of our possessions (spend at least 15 min. per weekday on this).
- Read homemaking books.
6. Continue reaching out to others through hospitality in our home
- Invite at least 1 family over at least once a month.
- Read books on hospitality.
Every year I make myself a book list that I hope to read my way through. I haven’t quite finished my list yet, but here are a few of them. A few of these I’ve already started (last year) and just need to finish. And some of them are ones I’ve read in the past but I want to re-read them.
It seems like more books always end up being added to my list as the year progresses. So many books, so little time!
So, those are my main goals for the year. They’re similar to the main goals I make every year, but I love writing them down and having the action steps for each one. They help keep my focus and help me to remember what’s important to me and to our family. Did you make any goals this year?
Happy New Year!
Related Posts:
Nice book list! I read a couple of those this year (Own Your Life and A Million Little Ways…). Both were excellent!
Glad to hear you liked those books, Sara! I've read part of Own Your Life, and I love that one for sure!
Just started my new blog for 2016. It's full of positive posts that are sure to brighten your day. Feel free to share it with someone who might need some encouragement. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
http://dailypositiveencouragement.blogspot.com/?m=1
Hope your new blog is a success!
What a "joyful" colours for you stationery for your 2016 goals!
I'm just thinking about my goals : it's a good way to make better everyday life.
Have a nice first weekend of the new year
Franca
I love the bright colors in the winter months especially! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Franca!
Joy, what a great list of goals. I keep kind of a running list, including some goals, but I need to be more purposeful in reading the goals and not just doing the pressing things. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you, Donna! That seems to be the most difficult thing about goal setting—making sure to go back and review them now and then. I've struggled with that also. So glad you stopped by!