Update on 2019 Goals - February

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January took approximately 572 years but February was gone by the time I blinked. I don’t get how a loss of 2-3 days compared to a normal month can make such a difference but oh my goodness! I feel like we didn’t get to do anything in February!

Okay, that’s a lie because we actually did do quite a bit. We celebrated our daughter’s sixth birthday, we got our taxes filed, we picked out a new couch (eventually we will actually go buy it!) and I finished writing my first ebook! Now I need to edit it so it’s ready to show all of you 😀 That will be one of my main focuses over the next few weeks. I don’t think it will take super long and I already have time blocked out in my day to focus only on book work. Wooo!

What to remember when setting goals

It’s important when setting goals to not make vague statements, but rather something measurable. A few of my goals below might sound vague, but in my daily life I have more specific guidelines so I can check my progress and stay on track. Setting SMART goals are really helpful if you want to be able to track your progress and make sure you are heading in the right direction. I love this post from Cari Jehlik about SMART goals. It breaks the letters down and includes great examples for goals that hit all the requirements.

If you need some other ideas for setting or reaching goals this year take a peek at this post with resources and ideas for goal setting and achieving.

Progress, not perfection

I have to keep reminding myself that I’m going for progress, not perfection. I need to offer myself grace if I don’t hit every single goal every single month. Or if I completely bomb a day. Take a breath and start fresh the next day, or even the next minute. If I find myself stuffing my face with brownies after the kids go to bed I can start fresh with the next bite – or by not taking another bite 😉

I’m sharing my goals, not to make you think you need to set your own or do these same things, but for inspiration and encouragement. We are all works in progress that need to keep running our own races. Depending on your season of life you might need to make a goal of “take a 20 minute nap each day” or “plan meals and order groceries every Thursday.” Whatever will help you grow, manage your home, and embrace this life are what you should be focused on.

Read my January goals update here.

2019 Goals

Personal Goals:

Make healthy choices daily. This includes drinking enough water, being physically active, spending 10-15 minutes relaxing, and saying no to extra treats when I know I’m not actually hungry.
- I’ve been doing great at getting in my water each day. I have a gallon jug that I fill each morning and work to finish over the course of the day. I’ve only missed a couple times this month and that’s usually on days we are busy running and I’m not as focused on the task.
- This month was a bit of a challenge due to all the snow days and school off days. I did try to shovel whenever needed and it’s a great workout but I think most weeks I got in 3 workouts.
- Micah and I are trying to reach for apples, carrot sticks, and other healthier options at night. Some nights we do great, others not so much.
Read my Bible and spend time in prayer each day. I often skip weekends because my morning routine is different but there’s no reason I can’t stop for a few minutes for Jesus.
- I’m still not getting my chapter of Proverbs in every day on the weekends. I find myself praying more little prayers throughout the day but I want to make sure I’m taking time to hear God’s voice and soak in His wisdom. I think I need to make reading it before I look at anything else a habit. I’d love to hear what you do!

Family Goals:

Have one “no device” night each week with Micah. We started this recently and it’s really nice, although challenging! We usually watch a movie and we catch ourselves wanting to grab our phones to look up actors names on IMDB. Instead we are fully present and together – what date night should be!
- Most weekends we were able to do this and again, we have to put them in a separate room so the temptation is completely removed. We were also able to go on a real date night which was extra special!
Go on 3 individual dates with each kid. Because we have five kids we each take turns over the course of two months going on parent-kid dates. I will have dates in January/February, May/June, and September/October.
- I finished my dates with Mercedes and Jamison this month. Mercedes and I went to Pizza Ranch and Jamison and I went to Chilis. For the first time ever Jamison ordered off the adult menu. He felt pretty special asking for his “bacon cheeseburger with no onion, please” all by himself. Now I have a two month break while Micah goes on his dates during March and April.

Home Goals:

Try one new recipe each month. I’ll probably try more than this but this will force me to be intentional. I’ve started a list of what I want to do and some recipes are items that I would usually buy – like homemade yogurt and cream cheese!
- I’m making use of my Healthy Meal Planning Bundle and trying out recipes from the various cookbooks. This month I tried Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni and we enjoyed it. We did decide to cook extra pasta because there was so much sauce, however.
Do a mini-declutter each month. In 2017 I did a weekly decluttering challenge that lasted the full year. It helped our home greatly but there are always new items coming in (hello, family of seven!) so there are always items that can go out.
- I went through our game closet because when kids are in charge of putting away games, eventually it will turn into chaos. Okay, it wasn’t quiet chaos, but it also wasn’t very pretty! Cards and other game pieces were spilled all over the floor, boxes were stacked haphazardly on the shelves, and it was a little anxiety-inducing to even open the door. I pulled everything out, counted all the cards to only keep full decks, put everything away nicely, and found a few things to donate. It looks great now and is so easy to find what we want!