Okay, here it is...in 2009, I want to be perfect. At this point, I'm so far from this goal that I don't even know where to begin. Here is my short list of possibilities:
Be perfect in Visiting Teaching. I have never struggled with this like I do now. Not sure why. Wish I could resolve my own concerns about it, but not sure where to start. For 2009, I just want to get out and do it--hang ups or not.
Be a better homemaker. I want to set goals each month to learn a new skill and work on it throughout the month until I get really good at it.
- Have more fun with my kids. Maybe reinstitute date nights with them. Not sure yet on this one. Any ideas would be appreciated.
- Read my scriptures daily. I've been doing good with this one, but I need to continue even if it's just one little verse every day.
- Say more meaningful prayers. I loved Elder Bednar's talk at this last Conference on this topic, and I want to do all that he said to do.
Finish four more classes this year, so I can graduate next year.
Become more fiscally sound--create a larger emergency fund.
- Muck out the house completely and keep it tidy--declutter. I think I will assign an area a month, and give myself some breathing room.
- I'm going to watch what I eat, limit my portions, and exercise at least five days a week. I need to get back into walking the kids up to school.
Be a better housekeeper. I hate this one. Here's the reason. When I clean my house, I expect it to stay clean at least for a little while. I want to be able to leave a room and come back and at least find some semblance of my hard work when I return. If I don't find this, I become a bit irate. I basically throw what might be termed an adult temper tantrum. At forty years old, I think I'm ready to outgrow this, but I feel very disrespected when my house gets turned upside down without any effort on my part. To resolve this problem, I have chosen to ease up. My house is less than perfect, but it is liveable. I've even had people say they've never seen it messy (I don't think these people come over very often). My kids are very helpful and know how to work around the house, but none of us are all that great on picking up after ourselves on a regular basis. In short, I have chosen peace over perfection. Am I copping out? Should I be making a firmer stand with a more iron-ish fist? I think I just may be expecting too much.
So, overwhelmed yet? I definitely am. We have many home projects that need to be done--walls to paint, a retaining wall to put up, a dryer that still needs to be re-ducted (was supposed to be done yesterday, but the snow prevailed), and a ladder that needs to be created--we are WAYYYY overdue on this. The bids people are giving us are just way too high for our budget, and we now need to build it ourselves; good luck getting Z around long enough to do it. 
We will also be buying a new (well, not "new," just different) car in 2009. *heavy sigh* What do you think of this fine model? It just SCREAMS "madhouse," don't you think?
I know I've got to decide on only one goal, which will require a lot of prayer, but I would love any opinions you might have. I know these are personal choices that I need to make, but input is always valued. Many of you have been there and done that, so you have experience I don't have. Bring it on.
Maybe it's a good thing I'm thinking about this before Christmas. There's a lot to think through and iron out before 2009 arrives.
HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
5 comments:
I so get what you're saying about thinking you should be able to tell you cleaned a room when you re-enter it a half hour later. Argh. I'm of about the same mind as you—I try to keep it clean underneath the untidiness. We clean the toilets regularly, but towels bunched up on the hooks and racks don't bother me. We pull stuff out from under the couches and vacuum, but a big pile of toys in the middle of the room gets overlooked.
*sigh*
I think these are all pretty good (except for the home repair ones, but that's just because I'm completely useless at anything involving tools and such... Em's lucky if I can get a shelf up!).
I'd vote for finishing your degree. There's really a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish an academic degree... it's something tangible that you can look at and say, "Yeah... I earned this!" (Although, earning and actually displaying the degree are two different things... I finally bought a frame for my college diploma, which has sat in the envelope the school mailed it in for several years now. It's time to display it before my wife earns more degrees!!).
Best of luck in your resolutions!!
I'd love to be able to master just one of those in the upcoming year! I've struggled with many of these too, and while new year's resolutions seem to get made and forgotten too easily (for me, anyway), it's not a bad thing to keep looking at our life and planning some course corrections.
I like that you've stated that you want to pick one of these. It would be tempting to try to do them all, but that would drive most of us into despair trying too much at once. Any one of these would be a great accomplishment.
Great Post!!!!!!
i hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Wow! What a list and all so wonderful and worthy! They got my little brain clicking as to what I'd like to resolute. Thanks for sharing! Have a wonderful and heavenly Christmas.
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