Resolutions

So I know the rest of the world does their resolutions at the beginning of January, but I kind of like to announce mine at the end of the month. Then, when people are throwing their resolutions by the wayside, I feel like I am just starting mine, so they don't seem old and stale.

And my birthday is at the end of the month, so it's kind of like my last ditch effort to finish and start other resolutions before I start another year of age. (I had an awesome birthday by the way, when I get my pictures from the day I will let you know what we did and I know you'll all be jealous you aren't married to the most amazing husband and have the best friends and family ever. Best birthday ever, seriously.)

Here are the goals we had last year:

1. Go to a museum every month

2. Read books together (one a quarter)

3. Brooke- be successful and feel confident in breadmaking abilities.

4. Eric- cut refined sugar out of diet for 3 months.

5. Make the most of time here in Mass- Go to Cape Cod, Washington DC, Boston and New York again, and visit an amusement park.
6. Start a toddler music class

7. Eric get a job. :)

So you're asking, how did we do with these goals?

Awesome actually.

I think we were really close to visiting a museum every month.

We read the books together- besides Eric not quite finishing The Millionaire Next Door, we read the Culprit and the Cure, and A Perfect Mess. Both books we highly recommend to everyone.

I feel successful in my breadmaking abilities now- and the new food processor I got for Christmas also can help with the dough.

Eric- did cut out refined sugar from his diet for 3 months

We went to Cape Cod, DC, Boston and New York. And had season passes to Six Flags.

Eric got 2 jobs, just not the full time experience he was hoping for.

And I started a toddler music class.

Highlights of 2010-

1 - Eric finished classes at Springfield College- Masters Program

2 - Visiting Washington DC

3 - Visiting New York with our friend Dave

4 - Matt getting married

5 - Moving back to Utah

6 - Eric turning 30

7 - Falling in love with New England weather especially the spring.

8 - Visiting Cape Cod- and the Atlantic Ocean!

9 - Sailing with the Hollands

10 - Getting to know the people in Massachusetts- they rock!

2011 is a different year for us. We feel like our life is very up in the air- aka no job for Eric yet, we don’t know where we’ll be in 3 months let alone what we could accomplish once we get there, (for example financial goals are a little tricky not knowing how much money will be coming in) but here’s what we came up with for now irregardless of where we will be.

1. Start saving for retirement again. After Eric got laid off his job a year and a half ago, we stopped putting into our Roth IRA and mutual investments. We haven’t taken any of that money OUT yet, but we haven’t put any in since then. So definitely as soon as he gets a job, we will start putting money back into this.

2. Build up our emergency fund- at least $1000 within three months of working and hopefully 3 months savings by end of the year.

3. Read 3 more books together. (We loved this goal last year!) One a marriage book, crucial conversations, and a fictional book together. Any suggestions on the marriage or fiction book?

4. Brooke- read two books a month and study a new subject (like I did last year with my art book)

5. Visit 3 national parks this year, one outside of Utah.

6. Oh, and of course Eric getting a real job.

I read an awesome article that Janice Kapp Perry wrote on goals a few weeks ago that is super inspiring if you haven't set any goals for yourself yet. Here are two quotes from that.

Goethe said

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence meets you. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would come this way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

And also Elder M. Russell Ballard has strongly stated,

"I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life…If you want to have success in the goal-setting process, you learn to write your goals down. I would even put them in a prominent place…Spend your energies doing those things that will make a difference."

So that's what we're doing. Writing our goals down, and having you keep us accountable for these goals. I also wrote a list of 27 goals for my 27th year, but since I have already made this post long enough, I will just say next year I will let you know how I did with those.

It's really exciting to see goals in writing and official. It's like the spiritual creation of accomplishing something has happened, and I am already on the road to being a better, happier and more fulfilled person. Like living life with purpose rather than just being swayed with whatever happens to you. Anyway, I love it, and I'm so glad to be starting the process for 2011.