Evaluating Where You Are--Goals (Maggie)

Maybe the first step to figuring out where you are is to figure out where you want to be. If I am already where I want to be, then where I am doesn't really matter, I suppose. However, I am not where I want to be in many places. So, I am brainstorming here.

I would like to have the following things happening in all areas of my life(some of them are very specific, and others are more general):

Self:

Mind:

Learn to play an instrument

Growing in Holiness (Spirit):

prayer time daily
Weekday Mass every other Wed., Thursdays and Fridays

Appearance:

have a simple, functional wardrobe that fits and flatters
look pulled together
take care of teeth
take care of skin
new makeup (essentially out of base)
new glasses (prescription has changed...6 months ago)
clean glasses

Exercise:

Regular exercise
eat in a way that works for me

Poise:

posture
more self-confidence, in general

Work on demeanor, get comfortable with table manners, get comfortable welcoming people into our home

Home:

Cleaning:

put away last of Christmas decorations by Feb. 2
Organize basement storage (utilize above-garage storage)

keep house company ready

Living room and upstairs carpets need cleaning
master bedroom needs painted
girls' bedroom needs painted
laundry room needs painted
Spring:
start garden
mulch
trim painted/replaced

Food:

meal plans
dinner every night
more from-scratch foods
weekend breakfast at least one day

Money:

stay on top of coursework, create new instructional videos
spend time daily on writing
find and pursue opportunities

Others:

Relationships:

Have friends over or go out with friends at least once a month (grown ups, not kids' friends)
Invite kids' friends over at least once a month (per kid)
Visit or be visited by family at least once a month
more real-life interaction with people
Be more comfortable with those interactions (build confidence)

Hospitality:

Provide a meal for pastors or others every 2-3 months
(see above)
Son #1 18th birthday May
Son#2 15th birthday June
Plan and prep for graduation party in June

Building Community:

(see above)
Be active at kids' schools/church

Family:

lose my bad attitude
Less yelling
*bedtime
*mornings
more time enjoying my family

Home:

put away last of Christmas decorations by Feb. 2
Organize basement storage (utilize above-garage storage)

keep house company ready

Living room and upstairs carpets need cleaning
master bedroom needs painted
girls' bedroom needs painted
laundry room needs painted

Spring:
start garden
mulch
trim painted/replaced





SO, there's plenty here to work toward. There are a lot of places where I have made great progress.  Some of that has to do with life stage. Some of these goals are just easier for me to progress toward because my kids are not toddlers and I work from home. However, there is no reason to forgo goals because of the age of your kids or because you work full time. All the more important to evaluate what you want to happen--you have less time and energy to devote to making your life what you want it to be, so you have to work smarter! Figure out what is most important, and start there!!!

With some of these things, I have deadlines to meet. I don't  get to put off my son's graduation, as much as I would like to. That means. also, there are a lot of household projects that have to be taken care of in preparation too.  The goal is to prioritize and make sure I am taking care of myself AND that this is all being conducted gracefully. It is not going to be a fun time if I am pulling my hair out getting the house ready for a month before graduation. And, care needs to be taken that we observe the birthdays, particularly that of my 15 year old because he always manages to get the short end of the stick....Do you have a kid that seems to happen to?  He's very laid back, and, well, it just seems to happen. Relatives forget his birthday, even when they remember my other kids.  A year and a half ago, we put our house on the market 5 days after his birthday, and we were in the midst of doing every home improvement project we had not managed to do in the twelve years we lived there, and his birthday barely got recognized. Then, he tried to have a party at the end of the summer after we moved, and half the boys he wanted to have over were on vacation. :( So, this is important. Some things tend to overlap categories, and that is OK.  Multitasking can be a good thing.

If you, right this minute, were conducting your life with grace (not that you are not!), taking care of yourself and your family, living joyfully, striving for holiness, sharing your gifts, and creating community, what would that mean? What things would you be doing? Don't limit yourself here. This isn't an exercise in figuring out what we can actually achieve right this minute. This is figuring out what we would like to achieve , what is most important, and how to do that--gracefully, I might add.