Happy 2015!

As usual, my "Happy New Year" post is a little late, but it's only because I want to lengthen the celebration for you.  (Hey, I beat last year's first blog post by nearly two weeks and the year before I didn't post in January AT ALL, so I see this as a major improvement.)  Regardless of my tardiness, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that your 2015 is off to a great start.  

"So, do you have any new year's resolutions, Heather?"  Oh, I'm so glad you asked.  For the first time in years, I actually do.  I love this time of year...this fresh start season.  I feel the same about August and back to school.  And in the fall, you get fresh school supplies everywhere, too!  Ahhh, pretty notebooks and sharpened pencils.  Heavenly.  But I digress...

I've noticed there are generally three different schools of thought when it comes to resolutions.  The first group of folks are the non-participants.  They tend to think things like, "It's a fact that resolutions fail" or "Why bother?  I/You/They/Things aren't going to actually change long-term."  They usually have great reasons for this position.  They may have proven it to themselves a thousand times or had it proven to them by others.  Perhaps they don't like the pressure that comes with making resolutions and the guilt that seeps in afterward for not being able to keep up.  I'm not saying the non-participants are lazy people who don't believe in goal-setting.  Maybe they just hate the hoopla of January 1st.  Whatever the reason, they don't make new year's resolutions.  

The second group of people are the overachievers.  They start out with a dozen different life-altering goals and go 100 miles per hour attempting to achieve them all simultaneously until they burn out, usually around week two or three.  No one, not even Martha Stewart herself, can sustain a list of resolutions that includes dropping 20 lbs, becoming more organized, revamping the family budget, spending more time on a hobby, playing with the kids more, cooking healthier meals, getting more involved at church, and going on weekly dates with your spouse.  I love their good intentions, but bless their hearts, they make me want to take a nap.

The third group is the one I'm trying really hard to be in this year:  the realists.  They're the ones that know that goal-setting can be a positive thing if it's done correctly.  They know that there are practical steps you can take and follow to attempt to stick with those few, specific goals for as long as possible.  And here's the kicker:  They know life happens.  WHEN (not if) they fail, they attempt to land on their feet and try again.  Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't.  But to me, if you can avoid the guilt-trap (and that's a doozie), whatever progress made as a result is better than not attempting anything.  

So, fellow realists, let's do this.  Let's put on PBS Kids for the littles, fix a cup of coffee, and take ten minutes soul-searching and discussing with the Lord one or two or three (at most) things that could make this a better year.  

I'm going to be bold and throw my list out there in hopes that it will help with a little accountability, which, by the way, is HUGE when it comes to staying on track with goals.  I have a fitness accountability partner that I check in with weekly.  We share short-term and long-term goals, pray for one another, and cheer each other on.  Which brings me to number one...

1.  Getting my behind (and my arms and my stomach and my thighs) back into shape, which, by the looks of the crowds at the gym, is not an original idea.  I am not signed up for any races at the moment, which is part of the problem.  I need the motivation of one to keep me on track, so I'll be looking for something soon.  I'd like to drop ten pounds by the first of March.  I have specific steps and a new Fitbit to help me along.  And of course, those pounds will probably revisit me and leave me about 3 times this year, but like I wrote earlier, it's about trying again and, therefore, not making it 30 lbs.  

2.  Read more.  Goal of approx. one book per month with at least ten this year.  I have three waiting on my nightstand right now, "Best Yes" by Lysa Terkeurst, "Interrupted" by Jen Hatmaker, and "Hands Free Mama" by Rachel May Stafford.  If a few of the words of these wise women seep into my subconscious and affect how I do life, that will be a bonus. 

3.  Be more intentional about raising my kids with a love for the Lord and instilling virtues in them in fun ways by reading "In This House We Will Giggle" and implementing some of its strategies.  There is a new focus each month, so my goal is to hit at least 8 out of 12 months.

That's it?!  Yup, that's it.  Not huge stuff.  Nothing earth-shattering.  Just small things that I think will make me/this year/our family a little better.  I could add more.  I definitely have more to-dos in my mind for this year (could it finally be time to finish Luke's baby book?!) and room for more growth.  But, alas, I'm aiming to be a realist, not an over-achiever.  Join me, won't you?  Whether we blow it away with success or blow it all to pieces, there's always August.  I could even get a nice, new journal to jot fresh resolutions down in...