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New Year is supposed to have new resolutions, right? I have to say I rather enjoy the New Year because it genuinely is a fresh start. It creates a new mindset for those of us focused in certain areas of our life. I think it’s a great concept to follow. However, I believe we should follow the resolutions THROUGH the year. Here's how I am trying it.
I've decided I need to be a better example to my children but how? I started with setting goals monthly then weekly then daily. It’s how you get things accomplished, no? It's like a grocery list, or a to-do list.
I began by setting new goals every month and I put them on my personal cork board. I have 5 categories that I focus on; spiritual, personal, marriage, family, work. I keep my cork board somewhere visible so I can be reminded of what my focus is for the day/week/month. I have been doing this for nearly a year and I am only just starting to see any kind of results from it. Some months I have written things down and not taken a second glance at them, but the next month I have been focused on re-committing. I realized on a month to month basis the goals were very similar, but I am stubborn. So...slow learning is a big part of my life.
I'm sure people think goal setting doesn't really matter, never works or won't change anything. I used to be one of them! Cynical, critical and just fly by the seat of my pants on a day to day basis. Reality check: that got me no where near where I dreamed my life to be. So I stayed committed to this goal setting and commitment thing and well...it seems to have worked!
My marriage is busy and strained at times, but stronger. By strained I mean 3 kids with commitments and then my husband owning his own business and me starting Petra de Luna. THAT kind of strained-the good kind of strained. I also realized our children are more at peace when mama is on her game. If I'm being honest, our whole family is more at peace when mama is on her game. Which made me realize just how influential I am in our home. Sounds ignorant but I really had no idea. The numbers game is the most shocking to our friends and family. We paid off debt. A lot of it. In 19 months we paid off over $68K, my husbands income tripled, and well...I started my business without taking out any loans.
I'm sure it seems so far off to some and complete bulls&%$ to others. Those who have reached the point of desperate will understand that change was not only needed, but necessary. I don't think we would have made it out together as a family had I not taken this on.
So...if you aren't sure if you are going to set goals or resolutions for this year, I understand. I have tried and failed MANY-a-times. But you should know what is important in your life and use that as your driving force. If you don’t know what's important to you then start there. It's so much fun finding out about yourself, what you like, who you are and where you want your life to go. You are an adventure, and it's fun getting to know all about it.
So, for the new year I hope to continue on this journey of self-discovery, selflessness and learning. I hope to have you along for the ride. Let me know your resolutions/goals and how you follow through with them from January to December? I love hearing about other people's great stories, ideas and change for the better. Cheers to you all and Happy New Year!
Love, hugs and happiness,
Yolanda