Goals for the New Year

The truth is, I've never been a huge fan of New Year's Eve. I dread it almost
every year. It's one of the busiest days of the year for the healthcare industry
and I still shake my head to all the reasons why. Just because I'm not a fan of
New Year's Eve, it doesn't mean I'm opposing the New Year. I know I'm not the
only one that views the New Year as a new beginning. This year I've decided to
boycott resolutions and set some prospective goals for the new year. Hopefully,
by this time next year I will have met some of these goals and can go back and
reflect on how the goals made an impact on my life.

In no particular order...

Goal #1
Deep clean & organize every room in my house
     Do you ever stress about all the things in your home that need to be done?
I do. I've always thought that I would sleep better at night and be able to
enjoy life a little more if my house was a little more in order.

Goal #2
Save more money
      I wouldn't call myself a huge spender. I rarely spend money on material
things for myself. Every once in a while I splurge and when I do, I always end
up calling someone and confessing. Spending money on myself makes me feel
guilty. I really don't know why it has that effect on me but it does. I always
relate the money I've spent to how hard I worked to obtain it. My focus this
year will be to save more money so that I can contribute more to my retirement,
savings, and donations.

Goal #3
Drink more water
    I used to be so good at drinking water. Lately, I've fallen into the habit
of drinking 2-3 caffeinated beverages a day. My goal is to replace these
caffeinated beverages with water.

Goal #4
Go on more date nights with my husband
     During our marriage counseling, the pastor that married us told us some
great advice. He encouraged us to set a time each week for "us" time. I think
every couple needs "us" time. We started out taking one night out of the week
where we would go out on a dinner date. It didn't have to be fancy, in fact most
often it was Mexican food (it's my favorite).  When we first moved to Memphis,
we knew no one so weekly date nights was a pretty easy thing to do. Now that
we've met some amazing friends, we have a hard time getting some one on one time
together. Going forward, I would like to find a healthy balance between "us" and
"friend" time.

Goal #5
Memorize more scripture
      There have been so many times when I've been reading my Bible or listening
to a sermon and thought "I need to remember this verse". There are countless
verses that have a tendency to speak to you. There is nothing more glorifying
than hearing someone quote scripture from memory and apply it to the situation
at hand.

Goal #6
Pray more & worry less
    Throughout my day, I often let things worry me. Sometimes, I recognize it
enough to make a mental note to pray about these things. My goal is to pray more
and worry less even if it means stopping and praying during the exact moment the
worry approaches me.

Goal #7
Start sewing again
      My mother in law taught me to sew a few years ago. Sewing is something
that really gives me peace. I love seeing the finished product of something that
you've worked hard at creating. It's truly rewarding. My problem is that I have
a tendency to start a project and never finish it. Hopefully, I can get back
into the swing of things and become a better seamstress.

Goal #8
Call my Grandmothers once a week
     My Grandmothers are getting older, and I know I need to check in on them
more. The truth is, I think about them often. I know someday, I'll regret the
times when I didn't take the time to pick up the phone to call them.

Goal #9
Donate
    There are so many people in this World that are less fortunate than we are.
I have no reason not to share with those who are in need.

"It's not about how much you give but how much love we put into giving" Mother
Teresa