Happy New Year! A Few Goals and Tips.

The Lane family is pretty much MIA during the month of December.  We have two birthdays, a family Christmas party, prep, work  and tons of other activities going on.  With that said, I really couldn’t find the time to make blog posts.  I had to give up something temporarily and unfortunately, this was it.  However, I’m back and (hopefully) better than ever!  😉

We had a quiet but fun New Year’s Eve.  I used January first as an excuse to clean out our seasonal closet (yes, we are lucky enough to have enough storage space that I have one whole closet dedicated to nothing but holiday decorations!) and take down our Christmas stuff.

I make New Years Resolutions.  I always have and I probably always will.  I make a list and then map out a plan on how to accomplish each thing.  I only pick three goals since I want to pace myself.  You don’t want to add too much and set yourself up for failure. Plus, you can always add a new goal once you’ve achieved one!

2015 is my year to:

*Declutter The House- We’ve lived here almost a year now and I think it’s time.  Everything needs to be organized or given/thrown away.  More clutter equals more more stress.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.

*Get Down to A Healthy Weight- I’ve had two children.  My youngest is 1.5 now. It’s time to get back to good health and good habits for myself and my family.  I want to fit my old clothes and have more energy!

*Read 15 books- I love reading.  It keeps me sane and it helps me relax.  Fifteen books doesn’t sounds like many, but with our schedule, I wanted to make the goal manageable.  I joined a book club so that’s 12 books right there.

I found a really nice goals chart and tips on Pinterest from CrazyLittleProjects.com.  It’s right here and it’s really helpful. The image and the printables are her work, not mine.

The way I’m going to achieve my goals is by setting realistic guidelines.  For example, in order to declutter the house, I plan on working in one room every two to three days.  This way, I can give myself extra time if need be, plus I’ll be stay motivated if I finish a room earlier than scheduled!  So, in my planner, I outlined which days I’m doing each room.  I think I might even do before and after photos.  I’m going to use all the materials I already have in order to organize everything too.  I’m not bringing anymore into the house.  After I get everything cleaned up, I’m planning on a one for one rule.  If something comes in, something goes out.  That way, I can keep it as frugal as possible too.

I joined Weight Watchers online for my healthy weight goal.  I lost 35 pounds on it before I had children and I really like the program.  It works for my family and our lifestyle.  I’m going to try to exercise at least 3 times per week too by making each workout an appointment in my planner.  That way, if it’s scheduled, I will be more likely to stick to it.

I use the Goodreads app on my phone. It’s free and you can find it here.  It helps me track my progress and keep a running list of books that I want to read.  I can also write a review when I’m finished and/or rate the book.  I’m tracking my progress on this goal on the Goodreads app since they have a reading challenge already built into it.

I have a Pinterest board dedicated to my resolutions and I’m going to pin things that I try or that I might find helpful.  You can follow along with me.  So, how about you?  Did you make any New Years Resolutions or goals?  How do you plan on achieving them?  If you’ve completed any of my goals, I would love some tips or suggestions!  Happy New Year everyone!  It’s great to be back.