Goal Setting

Some call them resolutions, and grow to resent them. For me, they used to be that way. We would sit, as a family, and set family goals for the year: what we would work on in the house, where we would go on vacation, and renew spiritual goals to read scriptures, say family prayer every day, etc. Then we would write down individual goals. I used to go crazy when I would watch my husband writing like a crazy man. I had a routine, and six kids to get here and there, bills to pay, laundry to do, house to clean, and I resented that he had so much to write! Go figure! Anyway, years ago, at a ladies' Relief Society Homemaking Meeting (yep, I said the word...now an ancient relic) about Flylady. I began to follow her routines and weekly, daily challenges. I loved it. For me, it was the answer. List. Routine. For me, it felt good to mark off that completed task. (Now, I realize that this method is NOT for everyone...it worked for me). So, when goal time would come, I would think ahead of time of what I would want to learn in the upcoming year, what books I would read, what skills I wanted to improve at...and goal setting went from dread to something I looked forward to. From my goal setting, I now read the Book of Mormon at least twice a year, read ALL the talks from LDS General Conference, I have kept the weight off that I lost years ago, I exercise, I now bake all of our bread, I have completed projects and learned many things. Big goals for 2013 are still begin written down, but I am already reading "Preach My Gospel", the book used by LDS missionaries to train and teach...an amazingly spiritual experience for me since I have a full time missionary son. I am going to improve my bread making skills and perhaps work on natural fermentation rather than using yeast. I have a Christmas stocking under construction for Kaylee that MUST be completed (funny, I worked on it during Daddy's gall bladder surgery AND when I was stuck in the waiting room while Papa, Aunt Kayty and Aunt Jessica were visiting her). I plan to find 5 family names for genealogical, and then temple work. I plan to make matching dresses for my three granddaughters. I plan on organizing my pantry. (ugh) For me, the writing and marking off gets me going.

And that is what I started this diatribe about. I write down long term goals, but I had totally slacked on the daily ones. Until this week. I just wrote down a few goals that I wanted to get done this week: make the bank deposit, pay Elder Rice's charge card bill (he only charges in Korea and I have access to pay from his account), pick up my reprints of Elder Rice's pictures and the Power Ranger picture of Kayty at Walgreens, organize the bill paying drawer, and take down and put away the Winter Village. And, I did it...ALL...plus, I put those photos in Elder Rice's scrapbook...ready for his transfer to a new area. I also ordered all Kayty's meds (now, to have them remove part of my liver to pay for them! lol) AND I found a routine on a blog that really works for my life. All started with that list. And I did it when I was not feeling the best (I just can't stop getting 'stuff'...got a coughy thing now...I swear it's a curse to keep me from Kaylee) and it was doggone cold here.

You are never too old to find a new way to live...never.