I've finished planning my 2015 resolutions! I mentioned how I went about it this year in this earlier post. I'm taking a new approach, and am trying to make resolutions that will help me feel the way I want to feel this year, rather than being a list of habits to break or places to visit or pounds to lose. I'm going to post the list here, and then make weekly updates to hold myself accountable and stay on track. I hope you'll join me each week!
I've separated my goals into five categories: Myself, Family, Friends/Community, Home, and Sweet Adelines.
For Myself
I want to feel: At ease with myself, ever learning and growing, healthy and strong, beautiful, confident, spiritual. I want to grow, stretch, understand, trust, relax, allow, feel, celebrate, enjoy and love. To lead me toward these goals, I will:
1. Get control of my weight and my health - I'm not setting a weight loss goal per se, though I do want to lose weight. But mainly, I want to feel in control of my food choices, and I want to feel confident and pretty and healthy and strong. My main plan is to follow the Weight Watchers program, including attending meetings, doing weekly meal planning, journalling, trying new recipes, growing some of our own veggies, etc., and other ideas too, all to keep on track with good food choices.
2. Walk 70,000 steps per week - At 46 years old, I'm not going to turn into an exercise junkie any time soon. I've tried lots of different approaches to exercise, but the only thing that really sticks is walking. So, that's what I'll be doing. Getting 10,000 steps per day on average is a lofty goal considering I only get around 5,000 per day right now.
3. Try one new thing per month to stretch and grow - this could be an intellectual pursuit, a travel opportunity, a new craft or project, a new exercise, a new cooking style or cuisine. I'd like to exceed the one per month goal, but let's be real - I've got a lot of things on this list. Let's start small.
4. Daily journalling and reflecting - I learned during 2014 that a daily Gratitude practice is invaluable for feeling happy. I want to continue that, but also add in a devotional practice and other self-reflective journaling to develop spiritually.
For My Family
I want to feel: Loved/loving, connected, supportive, and fun. To lead me toward these goals, I will:
5. Stay connected to family (and friends) via phone calls, video chats, notes and cards and in-person visits whenever possible. With our family spread to the four corners of the US, it's a challenge to stay connected, though we do a pretty good job of it. I don't want to lose that. So I'm making it a specific goal to check each week.
6. Participate in our son's wedding plans. We'll be making several trips out to Minnesota for various events throughout the year, culminating in the actual wedding in October. There are things I could be doing from here at home, too, and I know my son and our future daughter-in-law want me to be involved (though not meddling, of course).
For Friends and My Community
I want to feel: connected, fun, involved, active, engaged, helpful, and contributing. Since we moved to Raleigh in Sept 2013, I've not made as many friends and community connections as I would like. Also, as a strong introvert, it's way easier for me to stay at home than to reach out and take a risk making a new friend. I want to focus particular attention on reaching out and making overtures to others. I want to be of service to my community. To lead me toward these goals, I will:
7. Extend at least two invitations per month to friends or acquaintances for getting together somehow. This could be to go walking, shopping, out for lunch, for a craft project, getting together with families, or any number of other ideas. I can easily combine this with goal #3 for extra fun.
For Our Home
I want our home to feel: comfortable, pleasant, pretty welcoming, nurturing, organized, enabling, rejuvenating. I love doing projects around the house and working on our yard and garden. But in 2015 we'll be moving from Raleigh back to Maryland, and so there will be extra things to think about at home this year. To lead me toward these goals, I will:
9. Purge and organize the house by May 1. We've only lived here 15 months, and still our closets are a mess. We've got stuff in the attic, stuff in the garage, stuff in the kitchen, stuff in the craft room. Stuff, stuff, stuff!!! I've gotta get things cleaned up and get our load lightened up before we pack up and move at the end of the summer. And I want to feel lighter too! Getting organized will definitely help me feel like our home is a rejuvenating place, rather than a burden.
10. Work in the yard at least 3 hours per week. By the time spring comes, this goal will be easy-peasy to meet, but in January and February, maybe not so much. But with our balmy Raleigh weather, I should easily be able to get moving and get the yard in shape even during the winter months. I love the feelings I have when I'm working outside - it's very relaxing and cathartic to me. And I love the resulting beauty!
11. Allow time for at least two fun home decor projects per month. I'd love to spend every day, all day, doing fun craft or home decor projects. But usually they get set aside in favor of other "must do" projects or jobs. I want to make our home feel great to live in, and this goal will help with that. This goal has the added benefit of exploring my creative side, and also should help our house show well when it comes time to sell it later this year.For Sweet Adelines
I want to feel: confident, artistic, accomplished, involved, fun, sharing, creative, giving. I've had some great success in this area of my life, and I have some lofty goals for myself and my quartet that won't happen unless I focus a little bit more. I want to be a service-oriented contributing member to my two choruses both on and off the performance stage. To lead me toward these goals, I will:
12. Personal singing rehearsal at least 4 hrs per week. I am spotty at doing personal rehearsal - I do enough to keep up with the expectation of the chorus or quartet, but I don't do enough to make my performances "muscle memory", so nerves get in my way and affect the group. I need to up my personal commitment for the good of the group.
13. Do daily vocal exercises for 15 minutes, for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days I'll assess whether or not to continue with this. (I think I know it will be good to continue, but vocal exercises are about as fun as kissing your brother, so committing to 30 days seems about all I can do at this moment.)
14. Complete the CHC New Member Handbook by Feb 28th. I committed to doing this in 2014 and failed to make my commitment. So I'll pick up this project and get 'er done!
15. Serve the Region 19 Silver Sorority champion's organization with at least 2 hours of activity per week. I was elected President last October, and I vowed to make the organization an active one. I need to make good on that promise and get some events and activities underway.
That's it. Quite a lengthy list, I know. Maybe too ambitious, but maybe not. I'm kind of viewing this as a "strategic plan" for my year, which resonates with me because of my former career in management. There are lots of other things I know I'll be doing this year that didn't make the list. Most of these things are things that might not happen if I don't focus on them.
So I'll see you next week with my first update and progress report. Have a great New Year's celebration!
That's it. Quite a lengthy list, I know. Maybe too ambitious, but maybe not. I'm kind of viewing this as a "strategic plan" for my year, which resonates with me because of my former career in management. There are lots of other things I know I'll be doing this year that didn't make the list. Most of these things are things that might not happen if I don't focus on them.
So I'll see you next week with my first update and progress report. Have a great New Year's celebration!
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