2014 Goals

With 2013 coming to a close and the year 2014 coming up very quickly, everyone seems to start thinking about how they will make this year better than last year.  I am no exception to this.  Each year I make goals or resolutions and they usually involve weight loss or a running goal or something huge!  So as the year comes to a close I thought I would share with you some of my goals & resolutions for the year 2014!

As I reflect on 2013 it was a pretty good year.  We sent our middle child to kindergarten this year, we sent our oldest to first grade, we got a cat this year (this is huge if you know my husband), I started a blog,  we took a vacation, and we were just generally blessed by another year together as a family.  

Things I want to accomplish in 2014:

1. Daily Devotions - this is something that I have been slacking on for awhile.  Or I will start a daily devotion or start out reading through the bible in a year and by Jan 10th it's over.  Or I get into a book of the bible that isn't so easy to read and I get bogged down so I quit.  So this year my goal is to read the bible each day.  It doesn't have to be anything major but a few verses out of a book that I choose is a goal I think I can do!

2. Hit my grocery budget 8 months this year - again not a huge goal but something that I want to do better at.  I meal plan each month and have a pretty strict grocery budget.  The last few months I have not done well with staying within my grocery budget each month. SO I want to make my budget work at least 8 months this year.  And if that means that at the end of the month we have to eat a box of mac'n'cheese then we do!

3. Run a sub 30 minute 5k - to some of you this won't mean anything but any of my running readers will understand.  I want to run a 5k (3.1 miles) in under 30 min.  I have done it once this year in Oct but the race was not chip timed at the start and so my "official" time did not reflect what my true time was.  So I want to run a sub 30min for an "official" time!  

4. Keep the house company ready - I'm not talking perfectly clean or organized.  But you know, clean enough that if someone stopped by unexpectedly you won't be scrambling or making excuses for the way the house looks.  If you are looking for some help check out the fly lady . She has some awesome tips and tricks and even daily challenges to get and keep your house clean.

5. Spend more time being conscience of life - I spend WAY too much time on my phone.  When I wake up in the morning I check my phone.  Email, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc I check it all while I drink my morning cup of coffee.  Then I check it again an hr later (I don't want to miss something!) Then the next hr and the next.  I spend half my day checking on what other people are doing with their days!  I'm WAY over that!  Checking my phone twice a day is plenty!  If someone needs me they know how to contact me! And my husband, kids, house & self will thank me in the long run! 

And although I may not hit all of these or my goals may shift over the course of the year.  I think it's good to set at least a few goals! And I especially think it's important to make obtainable goals! I was talking with a friend recently and we were talking about how important it is to set small obtainable goals and work your way up!  When you reach a goal (no matter what it is) it makes you feel good.  It makes you believe that you CAN do bigger things.  So then you set another goal and work towards that.  I didn't set out to run a half marathon!  I think I actually said to someone I would never do that! But you know what?  I have run two half marathons and have a third (a super special one) planned for late 2014.  My original running goal was to run a 5k.  That's it!  Just a 5k! I didn't care about the time or pace or anything but finishing a 5k.  Then I started setting farther distance goals, and then different speed goals, and pretty soon I was signing up for my first half marathon!  

I think life is a lot like setting goals.  You may not be able to imagine or plan on where you will be in a years time but you keep chipping away and doing your best to not just survive but thrive and pretty soon it's December 31st and you are reflecting on yet another year gone by.  I can't do any of these goals on my own. I am a weak weak person.  I'm weak spiritually, mentally, and physically.  I will be the first to admit that while running I have to combat a lot of negative thoughts.  I question my ability and my reasons for running.  And not just running, geez there are days I wonder why God gave me children!!  My parenting skills are anything but perfect.  Some days I worry that Dr. Phil will show up at the door! So how do I survive?  No not survive, I thrive!  How do I thrive?  By the amazing grace of God and HIS strength.  Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through him who gives me strength".  It doesn't say I MAY be able to, I MIGHT, I sure hope I do, it says I CAN!!!! This verse is written on my road id bracelet I wear during every run.  It's one I repeat to myself A LOT!  So if there is a goal that you feel like you need to make, DO IT!  And then keep praying the God will give you his strength, and perseverance, and peace, and love ,and anything else you need to get through it.  

What are your goals for 2014? How do you plan to keep up with them?  

Love, Lacey