Goodbye to Old Habits, Facebook and 2012!

Starting on Dec 26th (although it starts to creep into my head in November) I really try to concentrate on thinking about what I can do for the coming year. I like New Year's Resolutions because I like the mentality of starting a new chapter and being able to start fresh. This year I'm even more excited than ever becasue I feel like a lot of the things that have been holding me back from some of my personal goals are finally out of the way. For example: school and pregnancy has caused me to postpone fitness goals, have excuses on why I don't have enough time to journal, read scriptures or spend more attention on my kids. So now that I have graduated and don't have every ounce of energy going to studying, I feel that I have a chance to really make some internal changes.

As I have pondered over the past week, I've thought about what is most important in my life, or better yet, how I'd like to feel at the end of each day. I realized that I'd like to end each day knowing that I did something good for my body and that I have the strength and energy to conquer whatever I want to, that my kids feel loved and know that they can accomplish anything they set their little minds to, that my husband knows I love and appreciate him, and that even though I mess up and am far from perfect, my Heavenly Father loves me, He knows me and He will provide what I need to become what He wants me to become. 

After thinking about these goals, I realized that I need to set some concrete goals to help me feel this way each night. Because currently, I don't feel that I am doing good things for my body. I'm not sure my kids know how loved they are because I'm so focused on them doing their chores and homework and haven't been focusing as much on just sitting with them or watching them or playing games with them. That is my biggest issue that I wonder each day, becasue I feel like I spend so much time planning family outings and doing things with the kids such as cooking with them and going on little outings with them. But yet I think that my stress about everything being "just so" takes the joy and fun out of many of our interactions. I am and always be a disciplined parent, however. Because I do feel that I can find a way to be disciplined and not stressed. I am not sure that my husband always knows how much I appreciate and adore him, and I more-often-than-not go to bed feeling like a failure. My expectations for myself are so high and I never feel that I have done what I wanted to get done yet when I read scriptures and pray to my Father in Heaven I don't feel that way becasue He helps me to know that I am good enough.

So here are my goals:
1. to spend 30 minutes each day to read scriptures and reflect on them
2. to something each day that makes my body stronger, ideally working out, but taking   
    hikes or doing something active outdoors with the kids can count too
3. to remember that I am eating to fuel my body and not for any other reason and so I 
    need to eat accordingly
4. to work with hubby on our finances to get out of debt and save for our future
5. to read this passage each morning out loud so I don't forget my most sacred 
    duties:

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3).

Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live."

Just five daily goals to think about. Nothing too crazy like I've done in years past such as "workout for an hour every day", or "eat less than 1500 calories each day". While those are still things I will most likely do, I don't want my focus to be on time or numbers, but rather on how I feel each day. I hope by striving to reach these goals each day, it will help me to feel more at peace on the inside and happier each evening as I reflect on my day. I know that by making more time for scripture reading I will be more gentle with myself which in turn makes me less stressed and more pleasant to be around, for my hubby and kids. I love working out and need to remember to take time for myself to do it, it's hard being a mom because I always feel I need to devote 100% of my energy to my family, but I know if I take time to focus on myself I'll be able to serve them better. I know how to eat healthy and I love doing it, but so often I eat because I'm stressed or sad or angry or lonely or happy... basically I eat for reasons other than to fuel this body of mine. I think that by working my hubby on our finances, it will bring us closer together but I think that by me spending time taking care of my physical and spiritual needs I'll be able to be a better wife and companion in general. Lastly, I have found in the past that reading quotes can help set my mind right each day, so I hope this passage will help me parent a little better each day. 

In order for me to accomplish these five things each day I have decided to take a Facebook hiatus. Facebook is so wonderful and has allowed me to keep in contact with people I normally would not have been able to keep in touch with. It gives me an outlet to share my joys and frustrations. However it also takes a lot of time and focus off of the things that are most important in my life. I'm sad because I love keeping in touch with people, but I know that it is the right thing for me right now. I'm hoping that by having a blog I can take time to reflect more on my family and how I'm doing and also to write more stories about my children so that I can remember them in years to come. I'm so excited for 2013, I think that it's going to be one of the best years yet!