Well, I finally got the WordPress app on my phone hooked up to my blog. Which means I *might* be more likely to resume blogging. Emphasis on *might*. ;-) Actually, what got me thinking about it was a desire to have a place I could write out my goals that would be easy to reference throughout the year. I know, I’m a sucker for the cliché of making new year’s resolutions… but really, I think it’s great to have a time to reflect on this past year, in who I am and where I’m headed. In some ways, I feel like my goals are always the same, but maybe this year will be different. Maybe writing it out here will make a difference.

1) Draw closer to Christ.
Be better about getting in the Word. Be mindful of what I am exposing myself to – is it uplifting? Worthy? Noble? Pure? Strive to be a woman of prayer.

2) Be more present with my kids.
This is directly tied to my desire to reduce my dependency on my phone, specifically during the weekday. I need to think through how to do this, because obviously just saying “stop looking at my phone” isn’t working.

3) Read for pleasure.
I’m challenging myself to read 12 books this year in addition to what I read outloud during our homeschool day. I want my kids to see me reading for pleasure. I want to stretch and sharpen my mind. I want to train myself to focus on one thing again. I hope I find that 12 books is easy and I am able to read double – but in case not, I set the bar low.

4) Journal.
I was given a journal for my birthday and I want to use it. I’m not sure how exactly, but I’d also love to roll a reading journal and prayer journal into it. I want to practice writing in a place where the whole world isn’t going to be reading it – a place to process quietly would probably be good for me.

5) Make a budget and stick to it.
This goal is blunt because frankly, it needs to happen. I probably should stick it up at #2. YNAB (You Need A Budget) is where I’m going to start with this, and I know Paul is on board. I’ve started and stopped so many times, but for the sake of our family I *need* to stick with this all year. Maybe I’ll come up with an incentive to motivate me. (I say me because I am the spender in the family and I’m the one who really needs to be more mindful of the budget.)

6) Develop good habits with housekeeping.
In my mind, this looks like – keeping the main level picked up by the time I go to bed every night. But I wanted to make my goal more broad in case I find out that my comfort level in regards to “ideal housework” looks different. I really would love to spend this year making this house a pleasant place to live. Maybe I’ll go crazy and hang a picture or two. ;-)

And for something fun – I’d like to learn how to crochet this year. :-)

Writing all that out… hope I haven’t overwhelmed myself. On the other hand, I don’t have to do it all the first week of January. It probably would be helpful to break some of these down into baby steps and have a little checklist I can be working on… hmm that’s an idea. Maybe I’ll put that in my journal. When I find it. ;-)