Our Five Ring Circus: New Year’s Goals

Monday, January 9, 2023

New Year’s Goals

Big family blog


New Year’s Resolutions. I just don’t make them anymore. Every year that I did, I felt like I was just setting myself up for failure. Instead, I choose goals. 

Goals are something to aim for. It’s okay if you mess up. It’s okay if you miss a day. It’s simply a learning process to reach those goals, and you can change or adapt as needed. 

Each New Year, I take a little bit of time to reevaluate my goals. I look back on the past year to see what worked, figure out what goals were reached, and decide which goals to keep, get rid of, or add. Because it’s the start of a new year, it’s a good time to make a new game plan for the year ahead! 

GOALS ACHIEVED 

*Better skincare - The only time I used to wash off my makeup was when I showered at night. Most nights I just went to bed wearing makeup, then woke up and added more. Not a good game plan! So last year,  I set a goal to wash my face, and use good skincare products each night and morning, and that was achieved. I never missed a night, except on 2 occasions when I stayed up all night - pulling all nighters before vacation and before coming home. It is now a part of my routine with brushing my teeth and removing/putting in my contacts.

*Switch to a digital planner/calendar - I LOVE my paper planners and calendars and stickers and pens, but it just wasn’t working for me anymore. This past fall, I started using the shared family Cozi app that we already had for all my planning, and I’m just going to say it. I  prefer the digital planner over my paper planner! It’s working perfectly for my big family, and I have no plan to switch back. (I did the same with my grocery list!)

GOALS IN PROGRESS 

Raise my voice less - I want to maintain my composure and yell less. It is definitely a work in progress. I try, but when 6 kids push my buttons all at once or talk loudly at the same time, it’s really tough not to yell. Moral of the story? Sometimes yelling happens.

Drink more water - This one is always tough for me. I would just prefer to drink tea - hot or iced - all day, everyday! I’m focusing on baby steps. 

Exercise almost daily - I make this goal each year, and always seemed to get close to achieving it. After having Hayden, I was at my highest weight yet, but I do NOT lose weight breastfeeding. Instead, my body hangs on to that extra weight. Getting enough exercise was a struggle in 2022 with having a medically complete baby with LOTS of appointments, a hospital stay, and a recovery from open heart surgery. I hate the way my body looks, so exercising as often as possible is my priority this year. So far, I managed cardio 7 out of 8 days, and I am happy with that! 

Get more sleep - This one is just laughable, but I have hope! I am going on 4 years of minimal sleep, and I am beyond exhausted. I’m lucky if I get 4 hours of interrupted sleep each night. Right now, Hayden seems to have horrible PTSD from open heart surgery, and wakes up, screaming inconsolably, several times a night. He’s the happiest kid ever when he’s awake, and takes good naps, but overnight is a literal nightmare for both of us. 

Read more - Before I had kids, I read a book every day or two, but for a few years, I was only reading 1-2 books a year. Last year, I made reading a priority again, and I read more books than the previous years. This year, I want to aim for 2 books a month. I would love to read more, but I have to be realistic. I also want to read more often to my 3 little boys. I read several times a day to my 3 older kids, but it just isn’t possible with our busy schedule. Once a day, before naptime or bedtime, is my goal!

NEW GOALS

Get our house 100% organized - My plan is to declutter and organize every nook and cranny in our home. We have a lot of people living in this space, and we need it to work better for us. So far this week, I tackled 3 kitchen drawers, a bathroom vanity, a dresser drawer, and organized our Christmas decor as I took it all down. 8 small tasks done, and tons more to conquer!

Monthly date day/night with my husband AND my friends - A monthly date night with Grant was a previous goal, but we failed miserably. Time to tackle it again, along with adults only plans with friends!

Prepare for birthdays, holidays, and vacations well in advance - I am always a last minute kind of gal, and it stresses me out. I want yo be better prepared for all the big stuff this year. It’s time to start building a stockpile of gifts and gift cards again, wrapping gifts early, and start packing for family vacations earlier!

Better self care - I am not great at self care, probably because I pretty much always have a kid with me. We already determined that exercise, sleep, and adults only time is a failure, so I need to address that and do more for ME. 

Designated work hours - I am a stay at home mom, but I do have a little social media side gig. If I want to increase my profit, I need to have designated work times to get stuff done. I’m not exactly sure how that’s going to work, but my goal is to come up with a plan to MAKE it work!

Tackle our house to do list - We have SO much we need or want to do around the house, but work, raising kids, juggling school, sports, and activities, and tackling the daily chores comes first. This year, we hope to tackle several projects on our to do list. 

My biggest goal this year, however,  is to give myself grace. I am not going to check off everything on my to do list. I’m going to have horrible days. I’m going to achieve some goals, and I’m going to struggle with some. But each day is a new day, and I can aim to do better and be better. If I fail, that’s okay, because I’m human, it happens, and I can start over tomorrow!

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