It's a new decade, which gives us extra incentive for making some resolutions that will change our lives for the better! Here is my personal list of 20 things I want to do to see improvement in my life. Please hop on over to the forum to share your resolutions for the new decade!
1. Lose Weight
What a cliche New Year's resolution, but seriously, this has to happen! We feel better about ourselves when we are at a healthy weight... and I am not at my ideal weight. It's time to make some lifestyle changes!
2. Exercise
This is the second most cliche resolution, but it goes with the first. Even if this only means getting out and taking a walk... exercise does so much for not only our physical state, but also our mental well-being.
3. Play more with my son
It's so easy to dismiss quality time with a child when you are with them day in and day out. (If they are clothed, fed, and happy... why disturb them?) It's so easy for me to do the necessities and forget about my son's desires. Playing memory with a two year old isn't exactly enjoyable in my books, but it lights up his world. I need to put his wishes on my 'to do' list more throughout the week rather than simply meeting his physical needs.
What are activities you enjoy doing with your children?
4. Start a Blog and maintain it
I have already started the blog but will be announcing it in 2020. I know it will take a lot of work and effort, but it's my goal to diligently post and stay consistent with content. Have you tried a venture down this line? Maybe this is the year for you to start that 'thing' you always wanted to do!
5. Plan ahead for meals
Meal planning. Such a lovely idea that works so well when we do it! It's not that difficult but it simply takes the discipline to sit down and get it done. In the past when I have meal planned it made my life so much easier and the grocery budget much lower as well. Meal planning not only saves time and money, but it helps free up your mind throughout the week, because you don't need to come up with ideas for dinner. It's already done.
Do you enjoy meal planning, and if so, what day of the week is your go to 'plan' day?
6. Be intentional with money
We have a budget, but it needs to be finessed. Saving money is my focus for this year.
7. Save money for a family ride
A goal of mine is to save up any extra money I earn from my online endeavors, and save up money to help my husband buy a family ride. (a new kitchen is also on my wish list but that's a bit much for one year).
8. Diversify meals
Along with #7, I want to branch out with the types of meals I prepare. Let's get creative and be interesting with our food choices. It's so easy to fall back to the same old tried and true recipes. So here's to new recipes in 2020!
9. Do better at keeping house
My mind is much clearer when our home is relatively clean and in order. There's only so much you can do (and still keep your sanity) when you have a child... but that's no excuse to have a home turn into a pig stye! Too often I can zero in on one project (say blogging or editing) and let the rest of life go to the birds, so to speak. I've already started on this resolution and it's not as difficult as it may seem. It simply means keeping after the little things throughout the day. What are your tips for keeping your home clean and organized?
10. Manage my time more efficiently
Time management. I have much to learn in this area, but I'm realizing more and more how critical this is to success. If I plan to be the Mom I am called to be while at the same to getting all the other things done that are a preference to me, I need to learn how to manage time wisely. I plan to follow Jordan Paige's block schedule from funcheaporfree.com
do you have tips for getting everything done in a day/week that needs done?
11. Get up early
If you are anything like me, you hate mornings more than you hate anything else! It's hard to get out of bed, hard to wake up, and hard to function! In the past, I tried getting up early and sadly, never mastered the art... until recently.
With all the things going on in my life, I'm really busy. I had to face a decision. To keep going and to keep my sanity and my family's sanity, I needed to get up early.
Getting up before my son allows me to gather myself, have devotions, relish some 'me time', get the day started, and get some work done all before his sleepy little face rounds the corner.
Currently I set my alarm for 6:00 and I'm debating changing that to 5:30 or 5:00. I need more alone time to get my online work finished.
I have come to love this morning time and can hardly do without it! It starts my day off on the right foot rather than waking up with my son and stumbling through the morning, trying to wake up while taking care of him.
Getting up early has started to change my life and I plan to continue working on that.
12. Be consistent with devotions
Since I've been starting to get up earlier, I have been more consistent with devotional time, but I still have much room to improve. It's good to quiet our minds, meditate on God, and open our hearts to Him before we start the day. This sets the tone and helps so much with the trials a day may bring.
What are your tips and tricks for getting up early and not giving in to the snooze button?
13. Memorize scripture
I'm ashamed to admit that I have rarely memorized scripture since I was a child. This is such a valuable habit to create and is on my 'to do' list for 2020 and beyond.
14. Work on my patience
Ahhh, patience. Such a fleeting thing some days. One of my most glaring faults is my lack of patience. I seriously scare myself at how quickly I can lose my cool with my son. Being a more intense personality, it's easy to 'fly off the handle' when one things after the next goes wrong, or when stress is running high. I'm working hard at this, and by God's grace I will conquer! I can't bare the thought of my son growing up and thinking of his Mom as short tempered and impatient.
15. Grow in Christ
I know this goes along with having a consistent devotional life, but it is easy to go through the motions of reading scripture but still not growing in Christ. It takes intentional meditation and prayer. I need to grow in this area.
16. Stay on top of my personal photo books
Capturing life's moments is one of my top priorities, and it's easy to get behind on scrapbooking those photos. I have most of last year's photos to catch up on, and it looks overwhelming. Consistently staying on top of photos every month is so much easier than doing it all at the end of the year.
17. Spend more time with family
More family, less work. It's my goal to shut off the work, the computer, and my whirring mind, after dinner, to simply relax with my family. This is very hard for me to do as my mind is always whirring, brainstorming new ideas and working at ways to improve or make new a project I may be working on. It's extremely hard for me to shut off my mind when I'm in the middle of something (which is most of the time). This is a habit I have to break for the well being of my family. There are no questions asked, and will likely be the most difficult of all the 20 things on this list.
18. Do more for others
We are here to serve others, and that can be so easily forgotten some days. I've been trying to be more intentional with this and look for small ways I can bless other people. I don't naturally have a servant's heart and it takes extra work for me to see areas of need in a person's life, or pick up on the little things that I could do to bring joy to someone. But it's amazing how when we intentionally look for ways to bless others, the opportunities that come up are both surprising and often delightful. And we can't forget the one's that are closest to us. It's easy to take spouses and children for granted, but they should be number one on our lists. Serving them first and then the world. I have so much to learn in this area it's almost overwhelming, but one tiny step at a time!
In what ways do you try to bless others?
19. Pay off debt
As a stay at home mom, I chose to go into debt to start an Amazon business. I want to focus on paying that off this year. Do you have debts that are feasible to pay off in a year? Let's tackle it together!
20. Spend less time spent online
Let's face it, we probably all spend too much time online. Much of what I do is business related, but I also am guilty of letting the internet rob me of quality time that could be spent doing work or improving relationships.
So those are my 20 New Year's Resolutions for the year. What are your goals for this new decade? Head on over to the forum and let's chat and share together! Happy New Year to all!