I Resolve 2014

I know some people don't like setting New Year's resolutions, but I am not one of those people!  I've always been driven by goals, so writing down what I'd like to accomplish typically helps me (with the exception of last year, when my goals went out the window with being pregnant & sick most of the year). I'm a little late in posting these, but here goes, in no particular order:

1. Read at least one novel a month.
2. Finish reading the Book of Mormon (Matt and I were so good about reading together last year until late summer... we didn't miss a single day until August, probably due to Matt switching back to a night schedule so half of the time we didn't see each other for more than 2 minutes a day).
3. Read the Ensign each month.
4. Study for and earn my personal training certification and finish setting up the gym in our garage.
5. Get back to my pre-wedding weight... I'm only a pound or so over where I was before I got pregnant (hooray!), but I was definitely much fitter before I got married.  Something about becoming an insta-mom, having less time to go to the gym, cooking for a family instead of just eating chicken wraps and protein shakes, etc!
6. Drink at least 48 ounces of water each day.  I'm stealing this one from last year since I didn't quite accomplish this goal!
7. Spend quality time with Kylee each week... do a craft, go on a fun outing, learn something new, etc.

I'm sure there are other things I should be adding to this list, but I'll leave it at this for now.  I'm looking forward to trying a little harder to be a little better each day.

To finish this post, I wanted to share a few words from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

Sometimes the thing that holds us back is fear. We might be afraid that we won’t succeed, that we will succeed, that we might be embarrassed, that success might change us, or that it might change the people we love.

And so we wait. Or give up.

Another thing we need to remember when it comes to setting goals is this: We almost certainly will fail—at least in the short term. But rather than be discouraged, we can be empowered because this understanding removes the pressure of being perfect right now. It acknowledges from the beginning that at one time or another, we may fall short. Knowing this up front takes away much of the surprise and discouragement of failure. When we approach our goals this way, failure doesn’t have to limit us.

Remember, even if we fail to reach our ultimate, desired destination right away, we will have made progress along the road that will lead to it. And that matters—it means a lot. Even though we might fall short of our finish line, just continuing the journey will make us greater than we were before.

An old proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”