2013 Goals

In January of last year, I wrote about my 2012 goals.  There were only two of them - blog once a week and finish 2 digital scrapbook pages a week.

Guess what?

I didn't keep either of them.
But I didn't do horrible at them either.

I digitally scrapbooked once a week for about half a year.  And I know this isn't an excuse, but...I got a new computer this year...and my scrapbooking program is still on the old computer...and it's really annoying to change it because it involves calling the company and getting new pin code thingies...and using it on the old computer is sooooo slowwww ...I'm sure you understand why I couldn't keep that one.

As for blogging, I think I did pretty well.  There were a few weeks in there where I didn't post, then others where I blogged and posted a lot.  I blogged in clumps.  We aren't pharisees here so I'm sure that's good enough to count.

All that begs the question...what will I make as my goals in 2013?  Something as lofty as those oh-so-hard-to-reach 2012 goals (note the sarcasm)?

Lofty?  Maybe.  But not as time specific.  I know, I know, goals are supposed to be specific, that's how we keep them.  Make them measurable, attainable and specific...blah, blah, blah.  I'm making them my way.

For Me:

Start a walking program again and work up to 1 mile 3 times a week.  Back in the summer and early fall, I had been walking 1 mile 3 times a week every week.  But when my arm started hurting, it hurt to walk because my arm would swing.  And I would have to walk holding my arm, so I just stopped.  And while one mile doesn't seem like a lot to most people, it's really a huge milestone for me.  My body cannot physically take more than walking at this time and slow walking, at that.  So I'm setting an attainable goal for me.  When will I get up to 1 mile 3 times a week?  Who knows?  Hopefully, sometime this year.

Increase water intake and research diet and supplement options.  Over the last year, while I've been in pain, I've been on quite a few medications.  I've been to two different physical therapists, not to mention a host of doctors.  But the one thing I haven't really touched is what I eat and drink.  I have been reading recently about foods that inflame and should be avoided.  I hope to do more research on that.  And everything I read talks about getting adequate water to keep muscles, fascia and joints hydrated.  I definitely don't drink adequate water right now, so I'm slowly trying to increase that as well.

Read 40 books.  You can see a post all about that here.

For Tim:

Go on more date nights.  Will that be monthly?  That would be great, but we'll just see what I can handle and how I feel.

Use words to affirm him more often.  Including telling him how thankful I am for all the things he does around here and for how hard he works during his workweek.

For Julie and David:

Read 1 book aloud to them every month.  We used to do this all the time, but we have gotten out of the habit.  This activity is something I can do with the kids that doesn't involve any movement or pain on my part.

Listen to 8 audio books this year.  We love to listen to books on CD while we are driving to and from places.  And, better yet, we borrow them for free from the library.  This is a great way to increase their "reading" without much effort.

Go on a date with one child each month.  Once again, this was something we have done in the past, but just fell out of the habit of doing.  Julie has requested that we start up again and I think it's a great idea.

Use positive words to affirm more than negative words to correct.  This one will be the hardest, I'm sure.  Not that I love to be negative with my kids.  It's just that they need so much correction, it's hard to remember to affirm the good things they are doing as well.  So my goal is to try to affirm them and tell them the things they are doing right more often than the things they are doing wrong.

As you can see, the goals involving my family are all about my relationship with them and how I can help build that up.  These may be broader goals than in years past, but I've tried to make them flexible.  I've written goals that, except for the walking one, don't require much physical effort from me.  In other words, goals that I can manage at this point in my life and health.

I'd love to do a "goal check-up" post every quarter or so.  Will you help keep me accountable for that?  I love to hear if you made goals this year.  Drop me a comment with your goals or a link to your post on them.  I promise I will read them all.