Goals 2021

 

After reflecting on last year's goals, I've settled on this year's ambitious goals.

1.    Grow your mind: Read 52 books  This was one of my favorites.  This year I'm going to try to keep up with my book blog

2.    Cultivate creativity: 52 5x7 works of art, 6 large paintings.  I was able to do 52 works of art last year ranging from ATC to full 9x12". This year, I considered how I could increase that goal reasonably...when it was such a challenge last year.  I settled on 52 works of small size AND 6 big paintings.  

3.    Practice gratitude: 52 acts of gratitude  What exactly is an act of gratitude?  I left this one fairly open on purpose.  Maybe one week I will write a card to someone I'm grateful for...I have a lot of those people in my life!  Maybe one week, we will sit down as a family and list our many blessings... I want to raise grateful, not entitled children and I want gratitude to be an intentional practice.  Ideas: volunteer at a soup kitchen, pick up trash on a trail, random acts of kindness...

4.    Rest and play: 52 fun things with my children.   Last year my goal of playing with my children for 30 minutes a day was too hard to track.  I often forgot so this year I chose a weekly format...but it can't just be anything.  I bought The Adventure Challenge: Family Edition to help with ideas.

5.    Rest and play: 52 board games.  This will be easy!   One board game a week!   We own over 50 games....so we need to play every game once.

6.    Cultivate a healthy marriage: 52 fun things with Chase.  The pandemic made it hard this year to go on "dates," so this year I changed things up.  Of course I bought The Adventure Challenge: Couples Edition to help us out.

7.    Nurturing my body:  fasting, no soda, no fried food.  I read in Mom Hacks last year that aiming for a number isn't motivating enough to maintain a lifestyle change for weight loss...and it seems to my experience.  This year,  I'm not aiming for a number; I am aiming for a healthier life.  Why?  So I can be there for my kids and so I can set a good example. 

8.    Exercise: 3 days of cardio, 2 strength

9.    Explore nature:  26 hikes; 6 camping adventures.  This one might be tough!   We've already booked one camping adventure, but I hope to fit in a few more this year!  We had a blast camping last year.

10.          Declutter your house: 52 zones.    Each week, pick an area to declutter.  I'm trying to go more minimalist since there are 5 of us in this house..7 if you count pets!  Things are crowded and I'm constantly cleaning.  I want a house that is easy to keep clean...and that means less stuff!

11.          Combat Scarcity: No-spend weeks.  This one is aimed at breaking my Amazon addiction.  YIKES.  Allowed expenditures: repairs, groceries, necessities (and Chase has to agree it's a need not a want...), stuff for adventure books.  If there is something I really want: comes from my art fund and buy used.  This one will be the hardest goal I've set.   The first thing I do when I'm stressed is "add to cart."

12.          Financial goals: Pay off ECSI, Nugget, and Purple.  Save 10 k in retirement, save 10k in emergency.  This year I'm paying off that tiny student loan (still pretending the big one doesn't exist).  I'm also paying off the 2 things we bought on credit in 2019.  The savings goals should be no problem.  Last year we adapted to me putting 16% of my income on accident....so i might as well keep it that way this year.

Closing 2020

 

2020 was a horrible year for a lot of people, but it was actually a great year for me.    I transitioned from stay at home mom and then we pivoted to online learning within a month.  It was like a God-gifted transition period for my family.  I woke up at 5 am, worked until about 10 or 11 and then a hour or two around 2pm.  I researched and wrote rounds on topics I'm passionate about: boundaries, safety, recognizing animal abuse, conflict, and compassion fatigue.   My time home let me treasure my kids and gave me space to develop my teaching.  I didn't have to wake up the entire family and struggle to get everyone to church.  I grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat to a streamed the early service (which we never make it to in person).  I read books, I bought an exercise bike, I painted a lot, I took my family hiking and camping.    We moved a few steps closer to adoption with my 16 year old.  We fought, we cried, we made up, we grew closer as a family.  I learned to treasure the time I have with my friends and family.   As strange as it sounds, 2020 was a great year...and I'm counting my blessings and ending the year in gratitude.  Thank you, God, for protecting my family and giving us time to grow and bond!  Thank you for employment!  Thank you for months of no student interest and no payments!   AMEN!

 My 2020 goals were crazy-ambitious... 

1.  Play with my littles 30 minutes a day.  I think I did this.  I stopped tracking it, but i was stuck home with them for weeks and weeks.  I could still make this more intentional, but I think I did ok!
   
2. Exercise 5 times a week My fit bit report I had an average of 37 active minutes per day in 2020.  That's not bad considering I pulled something in my knee early into the year and had virtual PT for a while... Then in August I got sick as a dog (except I could have made a dog feel better) with an unknown cough.  It took a few rounds of antibiotics, steroids...then inhaled steroids to finally feel like myself.  During that time, I couldn't walk around my neighborhood without chest pain.  I tested negative for Covid twice, but it still makes me wonder...
   
3. Lose 40 pounds (to get back to pre-baby weight)  Ok... so this was an epic fail.  I started 2020 at 184 pounds...and I weighed in today at 182.  I got down to 172.8 then I injured my knee and got back up to 184.  I tried again...then got that horrible cough for 2 months.  I'm a stress eater...so I ended the year at 182.4.  I'm not stressed... This year I'm going to set non-numerical goals and focus on fitness and healthy eating.
   
4. Pay off my little student loan (not the big one...) and my new HVAC system.  That's about $14,700 in debt this year!  I paid off over $10 k in debt completely paying for the HVAC system, and about 1/2 of the remaining balance on my little loan.  With the uncertainty of COVID, we decided that saving for an emergency was a more important goal than paying off that little loan.
   
5. Read 52 books I rocked this goal!  I read 51.25 books and fell asleep last night cranking away at 52.   I was so close, I'm counting this as a win!
   
6. Create 52 works of art I did this one too!  52 little paintings done!
   
7. Sell 6 pieces of art Nailed it!  I sold 13 originals and quite a few prints.
   
8. Go on 1 date a week.  This one is a COVID-fail.  Hard to go on a date when on quarantine. 
   
9. Improve my handwriting by working through 2 books.  My handwriting is as terrible as ever... fail!
   
10. Save $10,000 I vastly exceeded this goal.  I accidentally set my withholding to 16% of my income when I meant to do 8% on retirement.  I didn't realize this until the end of the year so I was also putting some in an Roth IRA.... So I set aside over $25,000 including my employer's generous 8% match. 
    
11. Declutter 200 pounds of crap  I stopped weighing my donations, but I have no doubt I blew this one out of the water.  I got rid of a large volume of furniture so 200 pounds = no problem.
    
12. Communicate with my loved ones more by calling or writing someone once per week.  I feel like COVID really helped this goal.  We called and Facetimed a lot of family this year, but I stopped keeping track.
    
13. BONUS Kid goal: read 5 new books a week.  We stopped counting somewhere around 200 books so i think we did ok at this goal.    Lol we read so much...my kids started to groan so I backed off this goal so they could preserve a love of reading!  Favorite books for the year:  Dandy for MM, and Will you Be My Dog? for Flip. 
    

  So what crazy goals will I set for 2021?

Updates

I've been working really hard at my 2020 goals, but who can tell the future?  I messed up my knee and exercise has been difficult.    Also COVID-19 really threw a wrench in all my goals.    Ugh do I continue to hit debt...or save for the EPIC rainy season that is 2020....

1.  Play with my littles 30 minutes a day.  (stuck home with them all day, everyday.  Nailed it)
   
2. Exercise 5 times a week (Tore my meniscus at a trampoline park...so I've changed this goal to exercise, do PT, or walk 10,000 steps)
   
3. Lose 40 pounds (to get back to pre-baby weight) (Haha...that's funny.   I'm a stress eater so COVID-19 has not been kind for my diet)
   
4. Pay off my little student loan (not the big one...) and my new HVAC system.  That's about $14,700 in debt this year!  (We've paid off the HVAC system, and I'm itching to pay off the little loan.  However, the hubs may lose his funding...ie, employment.  So this goal is on hold while we save like crazy for unemployment)
   
5. Read 52 books (Check out my book blog:  http://dogears-happytales.blogspot.com/)
   
6. Create 52 works of art (Check out my art blog:   http://katiedarrdesigns.blogspot.com/)
   
7. Sell 6 pieces of art (sold: 2)
   
8. Go on 1 date a week (FAIL)
   
9. Improve my handwriting by working through 2 books. (FAIL)
   
10. Save $10,000 (DONE!)
    
11. Declutter 200 pounds of crap  (No idea...probably done?)
    
12. Communicate with my loved ones more by calling or writing someone once per week  (um...yeah!   What else is there to do?)
    
13. BONUS Kid goal: read 5 new books a week.   (Good thing we were really ahead when quarantine started...because the library is CLOSED). 
    

2020 Breaking the Screen Addiction for a Life of Intention

Intention.   That's my word for 2020.  I want to be intentional with my time, my energy, and my health.   I sat my family down with an assortment of worksheets on January 1st.  As part of our celebration of the New Year, we set goals together as a family.   Chase and I each set 12, and the kids set whatever number they chose.   Live with intention and dare greatly.

1.  Play with my littles 30 minutes a day.
2. Exercise 5 times a week
3. Lose 40 pounds (to get back to pre-baby weight)
4. Pay off my little student loan (not the big one...) and my new HVAC system.  That's about $14,700 in debt this year!
5. Read 52 books
6. Create 52 works of art
7. Sell 6 pieces of art
8. Go on 1 date a week
9. Improve my handwriting by working through 2 books.
10. Save $10,000
11. Declutter 200 pounds of crap
12. Communicate with my loved ones more by calling or writing someone once per week
13. BONUS Kid goal: read 5 new books a week.  

So far I'm pretty behind at play time, but working to catch up!  I blew a meniscus during week 2 and the doctor placed me on strict rest for 4 weeks so exercise has been difficult as well, but I'm starting back on that goal this week.   I've lost 14 pounds on Weight Watchers.  We've paid off $5000 of our debts. I've read or listened to 7 books, and created 5 new paintings.  I've already sold 1 piece (to my mom but it still counts).  Going on dates...welll that's not going so well.  Handwriting...also stalled right now.   Saving will wait until after our debts are paid.  Decluttering and communicating more are right on schedule.    We read 65 new books to the children so far!

How does one do all that?  Well...I decided to stubbornly enforce rules of cleanliness from my family.   Every night I ask that we do 12 things as a team:

1. Shoes and Coats to appropriate are
2. NO dishes on sink or counter
3. We eat at the table (not on the couch)
4. Make your bed
5. Dirty laundry goes in a basket.  Clean laundry goes in drawers/hangers. 
6. Put away toys/clutter
7. Flat surfaces free of clutter in master bedroom.
8. Sweep up crumbs
9. Wipe table and counter
10. Cans and cardboard out to recycling
11. Kitchen trash out if full and put in a new bag
12. Compost out

Now that everyone is pulling more weight on the housework, I have more time to do things.  Amazing how that works...I'm also putting down my phone and refuse to watch TV.   I can't wait to get to the end of the year.  How much will my painting skill improve with more intentional practice?  How much closer to my children and how much happier will the be with intentional play and my undivided attention?  What can I do with the extra money with no more payments to debt (other than my big loan)?  How much easier will it be to keep my house clean without all that clutter?  How will I feel at a healthy weight with strong muscles? Maybe I can stay out of physical therapy this year...or just sneeze without a back spasm!   Visualizing the end goal and who I want to be is my driving force.   I don't want to be overweight, orthopedicly unsound with nothing to show for my time other than endless wasted hours on Facebook.  I want live with passion, creativity, and INTENTION. 

Mother of 3

I'm sitting at my desk watching the sun rise.  There's a crispness to the morning that suggests fall is just around the corner.  The summer was full of change as we worked to prepare our home for a new addition.   Chase and I are now the parents of a teenager.  When I spoke of our plans to adopt a teenager through foster care, I had a few people glance at me with surprise and confusion.   Perhaps we are a special kind of crazy. I've spent a great deal of time examining my motives.  Why?  Our life was comfortable, pleasant, and routine... Why disrupt it all?   As cliche as it may sound, I felt God called my family to do this.   He is good.  He has been good to my family.  He has given us so much, and loved us so abundantly.  How can I not give back?

Today was her first day of school.  So many new things.   New home.  New family.  New school.  New therapist.  New expectations.  New faith.  New hope.   I can't help but be a little nervous about her first day at school.  I hope and pray she will make good friends who will encourage her and hold her accountable.  I pray she will learn what it is to belong and not just "fit in." I pray that her faith will grow.  I pray that I will have and recognize opportunities to serve and love, and that I can be a small part of her learning to trust. 

Back To School Declutter Challenge

Who else feels like a hot mess during this back to school season?  We certainly fit with that description!  We are back to school with our new daughter who is settling in her new home, new school, new friends, new church, and new life.   The days feel overwhelming as I struggle to keep the laundry and dishes from taking over the house while also keeping my children fed and safe.   I’m exhausted at the end of each day.  Having less clutter and less to care for seems like it would help.  I crave a more simple life and home.   How does a clutter bug such as myself get to a point of clutter-free zen?  I truly have no idea, but I’m going to keep striving!  Bonus challenge: weigh or count all the stuff you get rid of!   To help out, I made this hideously ugly printable calendar with a retro feel.. I was too lazy to make one for the rest of August...so here's September. 

August

26 – Kids clothing – My kids tend to wear the same outfits over and over.  Why do I even keep the rest?   Today I plan on going through my kids’ clothing and donating what they don’t wear.  That “Does it spark joy?” line of thinking gets me in trouble…so I’m going to ask myself “Does it all fit in the designated space?”  I’ll start with taking everything out Marie-Kondo style, then putting my favorites in first.  Whatever doesn’t fit at the end goes.  Simple.  Brutal.  Effective.  We’ll see how this pans out.  I’m going to use this strategy for all my decluttering challenges. 

27.  Kid’s Shoes – they are piled up in the door, out in the garden, between car seats… Time to change this!

28.  Summer Toys – I think it may be time to put the inflatable pool away…also all the plastic junk that’s accumulated in the back yard!  I’m ready for coffee in the crisp autumn air before my kids wake up! 

29.   Shredded Paper.   Oh, Lord.  I pray he’ll help me with this.  I have paper in every corner of the house…  I’ll never have time to sit and shred it all so I plan on using a shredding service to help!

30.  Make a chore list.  Mama shouldn’t have to do all this alone, right?   I think it’s well past time we sit down as a family and dole out some responsibility! 

31.   Donation time.  All the crap from the week of decluttering needs to go.  So gather up the donations, recycling, papers to shred and get out of the house!

September

1. Set up a recycling center.  Plastic, glass, cardboard, markers, donations, batteries can all be recycled or reused.
2.   Notebooks/notes/binders – I have a bad habit of writing on the first page of a notebook and then forgetting about it.   There are probably dozens of half-filled notebooks scattered about the house.  I also have the notes from conferences/bible studies/parenting classes scattered around too.     So I’m going to tear apart the notebooks, recycle and reuse what I can! 
3.  Markers – So many dried up markers…they multiplied like rabbits!  Gather up the markers, test them, then RECYCLE them!  Crayola has a marker recycling program.
4.      Pencils/ Pens – Same as the markers…but with the rest of the writing utensils
5.       Erasers, staplers, whole punches, and other office supplies – Gather it, sort it, keep it, toss it.
6.      Lunch box gear – Leaky cold packs? Mismatched Tupperware?  Toss it!
7.       15 minute donate dash – Get your kids involved on this one!  Grab a box, set the timer, and GO!  Just go wherever and do a mad 15 minute donate dash.  Now put it in the car along with the other donations and take it out of the house.
8.       Gratitude Day.    If there was a day you missed, here’s your day to catch up.  I’ll also be using this day to pray that I can create a safe haven for my family, thank God for all his blessings, and set aside my to-do list to actually rest.  Not a Christian?  I challenge you to reflect on your motivation for a clutter free house, write a family gratitude list, and enjoy time with your family
9.        Cars – Gather up all the trash out of the cars, and take in the stuff that should be in the house.
10.    Cars – gather my insurance, registration, and maintenance logs and put them where they should go.   
11.    Kids’ Artwork – I plan on taking pictures of my favorite pieces for a photo album, then recycling the art! 
12.    Kids’ flat surfaces – How bad are the flat surfaces in your kids’ rooms?  If they are like mine they are bad…
13.    Under Kids’ beds – Who knows what’s under there?
14.    15 minute donate dash – Get your kids involved on this one!  Grab a box, set the timer, and GO!  Just go wherever and do a mad 15 minute donate dash.  Now put it in the car along with the other donations and take it out of the house.
15. 15.   Gratitude Day.    If there was a day you missed, here’s your day to catch up.  I’ll also be using this day to pray that I can create a safe haven for my family, thank God for all his blessings, and set aside my to-do list to actually rest.  Not a Christian?  I challenge you to reflect on your motivation for a clutter free house, write a family gratitude list, and enjoy time with your family without worry today! 
16.   Backpacks/purses/bags – Geeze, I didn’t know there were more in my attic!  Get rid of the excess.
17.   Books – Children books.  There are a few I hate reading and a few my kids hate too.  Let em go!
18.    Books – Nonfiction.  I have so many books on housecleaning and decluttering.  Let’s face it…I’m never going to open them.  Goodbye!
19.    Books – fiction.   I liked this book when I was 12… and I’m never going to read it again.  Let it go! 
20.    Bookshelves – what random junk is on the bookshelves? Oh! Here’s my nail polish...and my purse…and the electricity statement…
21.    15 minute donate dash.  Set the timer and gather all the donations, trash, and recyclables you can find.  Then load it up and haul it out!
22.     Gratitude Day – If I appreciated what I have, I wouldn’t be so inclined to get more.  So we are spending today practicing gratitude. 
23.    Sports equipment – Not into soccer anymore?  Declutter!
24.    Cosmetics – are there empty bottles of shampoo? Expired makeup? A million bath and body work body sprays? 
25.    Electronics – Game cartridges you no longer have the console for, old nonfunctional consoles, old screens, old tvs, and whatever other electronics are sitting around doing nothing.
26.    Gloves, scarves, and hats  - fall is here!  Let’s get ready for it
27.    Blankets – They are piled up in my closets, under my couch cushions, and anywhere else I can shove them.  Maybe it’s time to part with a few.
28.    15 minute donate dash – Get your kids involved on this one!  Grab a box, set the timer, and GO!  Just go wherever and do a mad 15 minute donate dash.  Now put it in the car along with the other donations and take it out of the house.
29.    Gratitude Day
30.    Plastic bags – I save plastic grocery bags to reuse or recycle.  They’ve taken over like tribbles on a starship.  Gather them up and take them to a recycling center (Walmart for us). 

Phew!  If you made it this far, congrats!  How many bags or pounds did you get rid of?