Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Goals for 2010

I think I've finally hammered out my Goals for the year of 2010. What, one twelfth of the year has already passed? Hey, I'm just a thoughtful, careful thinker. And slow.

For 2010 I'd like to read better, and less. I was surprised how many books I'd read in 2009, but even more surprised that even with continuously working on my lifelong goal to read all the books on the BYU Honors Reading List (I think we all need ultimately meaningless lists sometimes) how many fluffy books I read. I don't mind a little light entertainment now and then, but I was surprised by how stupid some of the books were. I just used the word surprised three (now four) times in this paragraph. Maybe I should also have a New Year's goal of using a thesaurus.

Specifically, I'm planning to read three certain types of books every month. Now, I'm already behind, and it's February, but the important aspect of this goal is not staying on top of it, but rather continuously working toward it by reading better. I'm going to read a non fiction on my BYU List, a fiction on my BYU list, and then I'm going to read another non-fiction book that I own, and have been meaning to read forever, but have never gotten around to. I was culling down our belongings after Christmas, and kept coming across books that I've been given as books or whatnot, and have always meant to read, but never actually cracked the cover on. I'm really bad at reading non-fiction. Somehow the lack of a storyline makes it hard for me to snuggle up with it when I really ought to be sleeping and read the book to the very last line in the wee hours of the morning. And I'd like to pare down the number of books we own, but most of the get riddable ones are the books I've been meaning to read for forever.

However, I know all sorts of good informative gems are hidden away in books without lurid plotlines, and I am determined to begin appreciating them.

Goal number 2:
Wear makeup when I know I'll be going out that day. So, this is a frivolous goal, but I, like many Homemakers, struggle with feeling frumpy sometimes, and this is to combat that feeling that I am secretly a hermit who may only be 27 years old, but looks and acts 47 years.

Goal number 3:
Not feel overwhelmed by having three children by the end of the year. That'll give me six months with three kids to figure out how to live with three kids.

Goal number 4:
Read the Book of Mormon every day. Ummm, I'm already doing badly at this. But what is the point of having a goal if not to challenge ourselves to do better? If only I knew a foolproof method to achieve this goal. Besides, you know, opening up the Book of Mormon and reading every single day.

Goal number 5:
Be happy this year, regardless of circumstances. When reviewing the past year, I've realized that how I felt emotionally much of the year directly reflected the life circumstances I was currently going through. When funding was great, and the weather was nice, I felt great. When our funding turned rocky, or bad news hit, or I was morning sick, I was emotionally down. I've always felt that I am a happy person, so I'd like to live to actually reflect this belief. I also know that we can be happy regardless of our what happens, or doesn't happen, in our lives. I usually try to not do really difficult to measure goals with indefinable boundaries, but this time I shall make an exception.

8 comments:

  1. A member of the bishoric taught the young men and young women last sunday. He challenged them to read the youth to read the book of mormon for 30 seconds a day. Maybe it was even 10 seconds a day. But it's enough to get them to read SOMETHING every day, and chances are that they will read more than that very brief amount of time. Maybe try that.

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  2. I'm glad you linked to that list. I will have to look over it!

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  3. Good for you for making goals. I'm not a believer in New Years Resolutions, but think that goal making is always a worthy pursuit and should be so all year round. A handy tip for Goal #4. Read when you're in the bathroom. I know someone who does this every morning and I must say that this person is far more faithful than I in cracking the cover to their Book of Mormon once a day. Best of luck with your goals!

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  4. kind of funny, but I have been trying to read more fiction lately. I loooove nonfiction. Currently I am reading lots of fluffy fiction by Grace Livingston Hill. Old (1890-1950) Christian romance novels with an emphasis on homemaking and lots of great details on clothes. The plots are usually all the same, with a few exceptions.

    You might like the non-fiction book "Behind the Scenes" it's a picture book about famous English houses and all their extra rooms with specific purposes where all the housework was done.

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  5. Ooooo that behind the scenes book sounds cool.

    i have had three kids for 18 months ( on saturday) and i still dont have it together! but i made myself a chore chart for the month of february so maybe there is hope.. maybe...

    i keep thinking it will get easier... i am in a bit of a heavy mood latley, trying to break free of it on my won but wondering if i really might need some of those meds i cant take because i am still nursing. hmmm my goal for the year. stop nursing!!

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  6. I made a list of goals for the year too. but as of this moment I really just want to eventually this year not be pregnant and be able to keep my house in some kind of condition other then the one that makes me ill, frustrated over whelmed and anxiouse.

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  7. I made a list of goals for the year too. but as of this moment I really just want to eventually this year not be pregnant and be able to keep my house in some kind of condition other then the one that makes me ill, frustrated over whelmed and anxiouse.

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  8. I made a list of goals for the year too. but as of this moment I really just want to eventually this year not be pregnant and be able to keep my house in some kind of condition other then the one that makes me ill, frustrated over whelmed and anxiouse.

    ReplyDelete