With the new year on the horizon, I can’t keep myself from thinking about the resolutions I want to make. It was fun to revisit the post I wrote last year about this subject. I did a pretty good job in my efforts to be more eco-conscious this year, with the exception of the buy online and pick-up in-store intention. Although, to be honest, with most of my days spent working from home instead of in an office, it didn’t really make sense to drive when I didn’t have to.
So many people hate making resolutions, and scoff at the idea of it. However, I love looking at each new year as a fresh start. Every January, I buy some new running shoes and toss my old pair. That feels good for more than the reason that they needed replacing anyway. They’re worn out from use, and that is money well spent! This year, I also treated myself to some new makeup and didn’t feel bad about it. The eyeshadow palettes I had were older than I’d like to admit. These little rewards are a nice way to treat me and also hold me accountable to use what I have without buying new things all the time. The new running shoes need to be worn and used often this year and so does that new eyeshadow! Even though I work from home most days, I still have clients who may request to have cameras on.
And Now For the Tough Love Part of Resolutions
Resolutions are hard to keep. To be successful, it’s essential to not just write down what you’d like to accomplish or change, but also to create a plan of action. Every time I have failed to make a goal, it’s one hundred percent because I didn’t carve out a step-by-step plan to accomplish it. Not because the goal was unachievable. Keeping your resolutions means you have to commit to that goal. Sometimes, that means putting in the time and effort even on days when you don’t want to. When you skip a day or misstep, it’s easy to throw in the towel and just give up.
You also lose your way when you forget the “why”, the reason you chose to work toward your goal in the first place. I once heard someone say the hardest day to pick yourself back up is the day after you fail on your promise or commitment, and I agree. But you can always start over, and that’s what I hold onto.
Some of My Resolutions for the Upcoming Year
Bible in a Year Podcast Completion
I have just a few days left to complete my Bible in a Year podcast commitment!
I am so thrilled that I made it to the end of this incredible journey. Even if you’re not Catholic, I highly recommend it. In fact, thousands of people who subscribed aren’t Catholic, but they’re interested in a guided course through the Bible. It starts up again on January 1st, just in time to kickstart the new year. You can get more information on it, or subscribe to it here. They have a reading plan you can download and print too. That’s a great tool if you’re someone who likes to cross things out as you complete them, like me. I loved the podcast, but guess what? I’m going to do it again! Why? Well, to be honest, even though I met my goal, it could have been a better experience.
That’s because, on most days, I passively listened to it while I was running outside or driving to work. There were times that my mind totally wandered instead of focusing. And to be honest, that probably wasn’t good for my runs or my driving either. The next time around, I’m planning to start my day with it in the early morning, when I can focus more intently on the words and their message. So yep, I made it and there were days I didn’t want to tune in, but I’m focused on doing it again.
Saving Significant Money
This year, I plan to commit to saving a specific dollar figure. I want to do this for several reasons:
- From a self-discipline aspect, I don’t want to be the person who buys something just becuase I can. Instead, I really want to work on only buying the things I need, and making a list of things I would like to have as Christmas or birthday gift ideas instead.
- I want to look at this exercise as a personal challege that will also be good for my bank account.
- I have too many things that I don’t use already. This will be an opportunity to get a little more resourceful.
- If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you know I hate wasting money!
My plan to achieve this means I’ll be putting the blinders on when it comes to all of those fabulous sales and offers flying around online. And staying out of harm’s way!
Cooking More and Eating Out Less
Matt and I only go out to eat once a week, but we can cut that back to twice a month. This will help us reach the goal of saving money, and it will force me to get a little more creative in the kitchen. When our girls were home, making dinner was just part of the day. However, with just the two of us now, we’re not always motivated to cook like we should. I should add that I really like to cook, and it’s still hard. To be successful, I’ll need to plan meals better, which also means streamlined grocery shopping and less food waste. That sounds like a win to me!
I’d love to hear what your goals are for the year ahead, big or small. Maybe it’s starting a new career path, retiring early, or just reading more books and spending less time online.
Feel free to download my handy worksheet here so you can keep them front and center, and know that, no matter what they are, you can bet I’ll be rooting for you!
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