Resolve to set goals and plan each day.

We have been sick the last month. Its just been one thing after another and it seems like we are never really healthy. I have been battling very debilitating migraines and I feel like I lost the whole month of December due to those horrible things. I also have a kidney disease which I have talked about before as well. Needless to say that the month of December was not a fun, health wise, month for me. But here I am trying to start the New Year off right, and praying for health. 

I have been thinking a lot about the New Year and about "resolutions". I have never really been a New Years resolution person. I am more of a month/weekly resolution person. I mean who can really say on the first day of the year what they want to resolve to do that whole year? Some people may, and it works for them. But I am not one of those people. My life is constantly changing and I am constantly adjusting and making new resolutions. I'm learning new tricks and I am making myself a better me. 

I am a goal setter. I like to see things laid out in front of my with a realistic plan in place to achieve those things. I have a weekly calendar and on it I write down the meals for each day and the chores I hope to accomplish each day of the week. I write down what each person has going on and what I hope to achieve for each day of the week. This is my goal setting and planning. I can see the week ahead and I know what I need to get done each day in order for me to keep my organized sanity. I also have a bigger calendar that is set up for the whole month that I can look at to keep myself in check for the month. 

Some days I am not able to accomplish all that I need to because I have 4 kids and something always seems to get in the way.... and that's okay. Because I have the rest of the week planned I can see where I can fit that in. Braddoc has a lot of appointments and so some weeks I only have 2-3 days in that week to actually get any household chores done, and this calender helps me know which day I need to do that. 

I hate planning and resolving and failing to do something. I set goals for the year. 

This year, I plan to:

*Read my scriptures more

*Be a kinder mom

*Spend more time being a good wife

*Devote more time to teaching my children about the gospel

So there are my goals (which as the same every year basically). I use these goals to plan out my year, week by week, month by month. Its all well and good to resolve to do something but if you don't make it a goal and create a plan of how to do it then really they are just empty words. 

I can resolve to work out every day to lose weight, and then get a horrible kidney stone come February and then my resolution is shot. So instead I just say I am going to be healthier this year. I work out when I can, I eat better and take better care of my body.... then when said horrible kidney stone hits, I have not broken my goal or my plan because I have worked out how to make it happen. I have also learned that my plans are not always the Lords and sometimes I have to just go with where he takes me. My resolution to be healthier, may not be the Lords plan. Setting a resolution for the whole year is daunting and may not be attainable. So aim high and remember that no matter what, our lives are not always in our own hands and to trust the Lord.

I love a New Year and starting "fresh". But I think we really do that every day don't we? We start fresh and set out to be better today then we were yesterday. We strive to become better every day. We make promises to ourselves. We try to grow everyday.

I wake up every morning and kneel to pray. I ask for strength for the day to accomplish my goals and to be a better me. I ask for different things each day depending on where I need guidance and strength for that day. I don't pray at the first of the year and call it good. Just like I don't resolve to do something at the first of the year and then call it good, and think about it occasionally. 

So this year as you are thinking about your resolutions... Set goals, make plans and make them easy to follow through with. Plan on being a better you and then figure out what you need to or want to do to accomplish that. 

Don't look back.

Everyday is the first day of your life, ENJOY IT!!!

Say goodbye to 2012 and move on with the New You that God is constantly working on. 

Everyday is something new, to be enjoyed and to grow from.

HELLO 2013!!! It's gonna be great!