Goals and Resolutions

Each year I make some sets of goals and resolutions with varying degrees of specificity. It helps that since my birthday is just three weeks after New Year's, these goals come at a time of reflection in a multitude of ways. Of course, I make goals throughout the year as well, and don't feel as if I need to tie myself to New Year's resolutions if I find they're not working for me (especially if I've made them too specific). 

Many New Year's resolutions pertain to bettering one's health and being better people. Always good projects! And having them start at a certain point in the year regularly certainly helps make them measurable, and to remind you to check back with your goals from year to year. The important thing is to forgive yourself for the ones you haven't accomplished; let go of the ones that needed to be changed after you made them; and congratulate yourself for any and all progress you've made on the rest, both those accomplished completely and those you're still working toward.

I think it's also important to challenge one's self with these goals. Those we make throughout the year can often be ones we'd more than likely have accomplished anyway, almost like "to-do list" items than goals that challenge us and force us to WORK toward them. Although sometimes that's just because they're a continuation of goals we made previously and making progress but haven't quite conquered. So I do like that once a year, as the calendar turns, we take a moment to step outside ourselves and assess ways in which we can question our own assumptions, test our own commitment to ourselves, and commit to growing as people. 

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My 2013 Resolutions:

I like to make my NY resolutions short, sweet, memorable, and not overwhelming. I've found I do better with more esoteric goals than strictly measurable ones. The measurable goals for the rest of the year are usually based off these resolutions. It's OK if they're subjective, because the measure is in my own commitment, effort, and attention to them, moreso than true success. 

• Health: Connect my mind, body and spirit together in a more cohesive way. Help all the parts of me work in conjunction for a better, happier Me. Be better at meditation. 
• Attitude: Keep a positive frame of mind more often, and work with the laws of attraction.
• Relationships: Be more conscious and mindful of how I speak to people. Spend time with friends regularly, even the ones I can only see online. 
• Homesteading: Make sourdough foods regularly. Work on finding and creating recipes for our own "convenience" foods. Increase our food growth and storage abilities. Reduce waste further, including space wasted by clutter.
• Blogging: Be more consistent with blogging posts and projects. Be better at remembering before and after pictures. Work on a multitude of projects at any given time to always have something new and exciting to talk about (with bonus: keeps life interesting). 

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What are your resolutions this year?