this is the year i set out to...
MAIL CARDS // i realized mid-2016 that i hoard new greeting cards. i have a drawer full of pretty, unsent cards just waiting to put a smile on someone's face in the snail mail. i considered donating my cards collection, but decided to instead make it a goal to empty out that drawer by mailing out every card! my Grandma Jo kept a perpetual calendar in her dining room with all the family members' birthdays and anniversaries listed in her perfect handwriting. when i was at her house earlier this month i took a picture of her calendar and was inspired to send cards on all the occasions. i'm very excited about this! my mailbox is going to be busy! note to self: buy postage stamps.
HAVE A HOUSE CLEANING SCHEDULE // my current cleaning schedule is more like "as needed" and "hurry we have company coming over." but every time i see Clean Mama's instagram, i'm like golly i need a real house cleaning schedule! Clean Mama i love your ways! every day is a different focus so that by the end of the week, the entire house is clean. bits and pieces. and then i can do other chores as needed.
RACK UP FEWER LIBRARY FINES // this is my loftiest goal yet. i'm really praying about this one. i may have set the bar too high here. i mean, don't get me wrong, i support the local public library and all. i'm just thinking we shouldn't need a Dave Ramsey envelope for monthly library fines. we can get our books in on time.
CLEAN OUT VANITY DRAWERS // honestly, how many travel size tubes of Clinique moisturizer does one girl need? 56 apparently. and that's just in 1 drawer. there are 3 drawers in my vanity that need a serious overhaul: cleansers, cosmetics, and hair accessories. this is the year those drawers get cleaned, emptied, and refilled only with what is useful and good.
PUT PHOTOS IN ALBUMS // the good news is that i am really good about printing our photos so they don't exist only digitally on the computer or on my phone. the bad news is, all those printed 4x6s are overflowing into 2 DRAWERS in my dresser. they are nice and neatly labeled, organized by date, and just need to be put into some nice albums! easier said than done? we'll see.
LIVE CONFIDENT // i heard Amy Cuddy in a fascinating interview on NPR the other day and she spoke on being present, confident, and strong in every moment. i like the way "present" was defined, as "the state in which we stop worrying about the impression we're making on others and instead adjust the impression we've been making on ourselves." it's about being/feeling genuine and commanding (confident not arrogant) instead of being/feeling phony and powerless. projecting joy, not fear. living certain, not doubtful. inspired! Cuddy's book "Presence" is in my Amazon cart and on my to-read list. here is the audio of the NPR interview.
LOVE-FILTER MY WORDS // talk less and say more. or, as Proverbs 10:19 puts it, be sensible and keep your mouth shut. all too often the heart of a message is buried in empty remarks, excuses, over-explanations, back stories, and reasoning. my goal is simply to say what needs to be said, and to say it with heart and with purpose. to take time to think about the hearer/reader before i speak/write/post. Psalm 19:14 is my prayer: "may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, Lord"
READ AND WRITE // according to the list in my phone notes, i read 19 books in 2016! oh the pressure is on now to finish the one i'm reading to make it an even 20! i love to read and i will continue reading in the new year, adding completed books to the list in my phone notes. i also love to write and have re-started writing in my journal. i have a journal for personal, daily notes/thoughts, and i have a journal for notes/thoughts from my morning quiet time with Jesus. reading and writing bring me joy.
BE OBSESSIVELY GRATEFUL // a few months ago i overheard someone describe a friend as a "constant complainer" and it made me cringe as if it was a nasty curse word. what a horrible way of life, an image i'm sure no one wants to convey. definitely not me. i decided then that the opposite of constantly complaining is obsessively grateful. and it's all about perspective. call it glass half full or rose colored glasses or what have you. i call it a joyful way of life!
what about you? what are your goals for 2017? need more inspiration?
// reflect + refocus printables from jenn sprinkle
// looking back on 2016 from holley gerth
// shaped not shattered from ann voskamp & vaneetha rendall
// new year's resolutions printable from live laugh rowe
// 3 questions to reveal your goals from jon acuff
// your 2017 why from crystal sparks
happy new year! here's to making the most of 2017! xo
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