The Sinyard Family: 2017 New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! I hope yours is off to a great start so far. Audrey started back to school today, which always makes me sad. I spent the morning helping a friend pack for her move (and thanking God it wasn't me facing that particular mountain right now 😅 - sorry, LS!) while Luke played with his buddy. It was a great distraction for both of us from Audrey not being around.

Before we go any further, I have a little confession: I am not a fan of January. Not at all. This is mainly why:

I get the post-holiday blues big time. The cold temperatures and lack of vitamin D are no help, not to mention coming back to a reality that doesn't involve dessert after every meal. (SO SAD.)

BUT, the one thing I do like about this month is the innate goal-setting spirit that comes along with it. I realize not everyone is a fan of new year's resolutions, but I think that's because most people don't go about them the right way. They make sweeping statements like "I'm going to lose 20 pounds" or "I'm going to pay off all my debt" or "I'm going to get organized" or worse, "This is going to be the year I lose 20 pounds, pay off all my debt, AND get organized." They never dig deeper to find the "why" and they never make a purposeful, detailed plan for how to achieve those things.

There are a million articles and tools to help you do all that. I even blogged some myself a few years back on my Imperfect Perfectionist site (And no, I don't keep up with that blog anymore...I never made it a goal/resolution! Maybe in the future, but one blog is enough for now.)

So this is not going to be a how-to post, but I do want to share my resolutions for 2017. I've posted them on here the last couple of years and I think it helps keeps me focused and accountable. (If you're curious, here are the ones from 2015 and 2016 along with their respective end of year updates: Original 2015 Resolutions, End of 2015 Resolutions Update, Original 2016 Resolutions, End of 2016 Resolutions Update)

I also want to tell you about a secret weapon I'm using this year: Lara Casey's Powersheets. I heard about them awhile back and considered buying them for a few years, but never took the plunge. This year I decided to finally go for it. I placed my order right before Christmas and then obsessively refreshed the shipping link for days as I anxiously awaited their arrival. They came just in time for my birthday and I majorly geeked out. I spent hours (yes HOURS) doing the prep work, which consists of identifying what you want most out of life, recognizing your fears, naming things you're letting go of, listing what has and has not worked for you, thinking through lessons you learned and challenges you've faced, etc. I read and reread through her goal setting series and finally put pen to paper to get it all out. I must admit it felt arduous and a little...touch-feely/hocus pocus for my realistic self at times, but I trudged through.

And it was WELL worth it. Drumroll, please...

Here are the 8 "big picture" goals I came up with this year:

1. Spiritual Growth
2. Marriage Growth
3. Continue to stay on track with health and fitness (more races)
4. Declutter (goal of room-by-room, closet-by-closet, drawer-by-drawer)
5. Have some adventures (travel, try new things locally)
6. Improve money management
7. Love and serve others well individually and as a family
8. Reflect and celebrate more (specific events planned, blog more, stay on top of photo albums)

Now if I just left that list right there, I'd be in trouble. Those are way too lofty, broad, and scary. But I didn't leave them like that. What you don't see (mainly because it's personal) are the details of why and how. I spent serious time mapping out a monthly "tending list" in my Powersheets workbook with monthly, weekly, and daily goals that will help me work towards my overarching eight goals of the year. I will do that on a monthly basis throughout the year, revising and rewriting as necessary. At the end of 2017, I hope the result will be some serious achievement and tangible progress in each of those eight areas.

Unfortunately, Lara is all sold out of her Powersheets for the year, but I strongly recommend you read through her goal-setting series (complete with some free printables) and start following her online. Gretchen Rubin is another a fantastic, helpful resource. I've also posted pictures below of a blank goal action plan and a tending list from the Powersheets workbook in case you want to create a similarly formatted document for yourself.

(Sidenote: If any of your own goals look similar to mine and you want to compare action steps and/or share a little accountability, let me know!)