Lesson 160: In 2014, I Hope to ...

My original hope for this post was that it would be abrupt, short, and cool. You'd click on it, expecting my usual amount of words, but instead, you'd be caught off guard by just two lonely sentences. And you'd think to yourself, wow, she's cool. 

It would have looked something like this.

1. Learn to sew. 
2. Write a book.

Imagine, just those six words on the stark white background. Super cool, in both their simplicity and in their hipster content.

Alas, as I began to think harder, I realized my intention in goal planning is not to look cool, but actually to give myself a list of motivations for the coming year. These are what I call "on-top-of" motivations. They are ways to spend time on-top-of my regular daily responsibilities. If I have a free second, how will I spend it wisely, not wastefully? Incidentally, I desire motivation in more than two areas.

(For the recond, #s 1 and 2 stand. They are my "step outside your comfort zone" goals.)

3. Blog consistently. Friends, I want you to know when you're going to find me here. For now, this means 3 times a week, Mon-Fri (maybe more). Admitting the schedule to others sounds ambitious, but I've found the more I write, the more ideas I have.

If you enjoy this blog, would you consider following by email? I receive my own emails, and they immediately filter into the Social folder on gmail. Rather than cluttering your main box, they wait patiently until you are ready to relax and read!

4. Guest post once a month for another blog. I'm looking for interesting ways to grow my readership base. Let me know if you are willing to invite me over. I like being given assignments and writing outside my usual topics.

5. Open an HSA for our faimly. 

6. Take a chunk out of my student loans. Oh, the money I still owe someone for my VT days. I'm not Dave Ramseying attacking them, but since beginning a family budget in September, I've found that it is incredibly easy to throw extra money in that direction. It's like blogging. The more I put in that direction, the more I desire the sum to be $0.

7. Get ourselves a will. This is a rollover from last year's list.

8. Rid our house of (at least) 50 items. This also is ambitious, because I filled a trunk of items destined for Goodwill just last week. What could possibly be left to purge? There is always more!

9. Stick to a Bible Reading plan with Mark. Our church is celebrating its 250th birthday this year! Think about that one. We're embarking on a churchwide reading plan to emphasize that God's faithfulness at Bethel is a result of a love for Scripture. We're in.

10 Generic Goals: Increase gardening efforts. Learn to operate my camera. Consider pursuing a Biblical counseling degree. Teach from the Bible to groups of women (girls) as much as possible. Enjoy my children, my husband, and my home. Volunteer. Call friends. Answer my phone.

Sorry this post wasn't shorter. I do believe it will prove to be more helpful!

What are your "on-top-of" goals? 


Lesson Learned: Ok 2014, let's see what we can do!