Family Goals
Family has always been one of my top priorities and in the last year I have actually started making some changes so I can focus on my family and be at home for them even more. My family goals aren't anything new for us but I guess I want to refocus and put greater importance on these goals:
In the New Year I want to re-establish having family meetings on Sundays. A couple years ago we started doing this but kind of let it go by the wayside over time. Sunday nights for our family is a great time to go over the week's plan and schedule, talk through things that need to get done, and also talk about goals and ideas. Our kids especially love giving supper recommendations each week, and thinking through BIG things like birthday party themes, vacation destinations and family fun activities.
In 2018 I also want to re-focus on creating individual time for each kid daily. I know my kids do better if I have taken some time with them one on one, to do something special with or just for them. This can be anything from reading a book, baking in the kitchen, or playing outside. When you have four kids it can be easy to group them all together for activities and even have them just help each other out, but taking time separately with each kid isn't only a benefit for them, it is also a benefit for me to get to know and appreciate them as an individual.
Having individual, quality time with my husband is also a goal too! He is the most important guy in my life and I never want to take him for granted. Sometimes with young children it is easy to just focus on their needs, but taking time each day for us is important. For Lent my husband and I have done nightly devotions together, but an idea is to do that all year long, rather than just Lent this year.
Farm Goals
My Farmer and I have been talking through goals and dreams for our farm ever since he started farming 12 years ago. This year I want us to take some time to actually prioritize our projects and put a realistic time frame on these ideas. We've had some plans on our to do list for the last few years but have never accomplished them. What do we need to do to actually finish the task? What will our budget actually allow us to execute this year? These are things that we need to sit down and take time to work through.
Another goal that will help us on our farm in the New Year is if we both make more time to be in the office. When you farm it is easy to concentrate on the outdoor tasks - feeding and taking care of the pigs, working in the field, getting machinery ready for the field, etc. But taking time to file paperwork, track inputs and outputs and organize our records, will not only help us come tax time, but it will also help us with marketing, making daily business decisions, and can help us accomplish those projects that I just talked about.
Individual Goals
Finally, I can't do any of the above if I'm not taking care of myself. I talked the other day about how I feel like 2018 is my year to make healthier choices and changes. One of first things I'm going to do in order to make those healthier choices is to wake up earlier. This is not a new concept, and isn't even the first time I've made this a New Year goal. But when I have done this, I have found myself more productive, am able to take more time for myself and in general am happier. I know waking up early works and I'm determined to make it my routine. I even have an accountability partner in place to give each other morning texts and encouragement to get up and get going.
My other individual goal goes along with being healthier too, and that is to drink more water. This is another thing I have been good at in the past, and then have fallen off track with, especially since this last fall it seems. When stress has gotten high and sleep has been minimal I have fallen into drinking more pop than I know I should be drinking. The New Year seems like the perfect chance to get back on track and concentrate on drinking more water daily.
What are your goals in the New Year? Be sure to share and Comment for a Cause!
