Four Goals for the New Year

Setting Attainable Goals

Around this time of year, as people are making goals, one thing you’ll hear recommended is to make them measurable. To give them metrics of some sort. And while I do think that’s true for most people, it doesn’t often work for me. Every time I set a metric, and inevitably miss the mark once, I get completely derailed and often give up.

If I say I’ll go to the gym 5 days a week, I might be able to do it for a couple of those weeks, but the first time that I only make it 4/5 days, I feel defeated and lose motivation quickly. For me, metrics are not always helpful.

So, this year, I have used more general phrases for my goals. I’m hoping this step will allow me to feel less pressure to “measure-up”, and more excitement to simply see what I can do.

My First Goal for 2025

One thing I’d like to do is spend more time outside, or even just experiencing the senses of outside. It could be as easy as opening the windows while I do indoor chores. This could also be taking a long walk to the park. I want to take advantage of more opportunities to breathe fresh air and feel the sun on my skin.

We have friends that are shooting for 1000 hours outside this year, and I think that is amazing! But the first day that I didn’t meet the goal, I would lose motivation, and would likely end up spending less time outside than if I never gave myself the metric. So, knowing myself, I’m sticking to the goal of “more time outside”.

Goal #2

The second thing I want to do this year is remodel our home and enjoy it.

If you’ve ever done home projects, you know that things can change quickly and become frustrating just as fast. While I do expect frustration along the way, I want to make a point to enjoy the process and remain thankful as I go- reminding myself that the work to be done is a result of the blessing of a place to call our own.

My husband would love to finish our home projects within 6 months, and if that happens, I also would like to deeply enjoy the home we create together. To tend it well and give thanks to the Lord for the ability to make things beautiful.

My Third Goal

This is actually the most specific goal I have, and it is to begin my vegetable garden here. I only want to start with one bed, growing 2-3 ‘easy’ things, and being disciplined to tend it. We still don’t have a fence, so we’re not prepared to build a large garden just to lose it to pests and animals. Chickens certainly aren’t happening this year, so gardening it is!

I’ll definitely be referring back to my notes from my first year gardening in our apartment, and will hopefully have more success.

My Final Goal for 2025

This year, I want to return to consistency in posting to the blog, and want to lean more into content on Pinterest. I know many of you follow me on Facebook and Instagram, but I think you’ll find it easier to access my content as pins.

The last 6 months were difficult for blogging, but with my husband back to almost-normal, I have a bit more time to focus on writing and publishing.

Ready to Hit the Ground Walking

I know the phrase is “hit the ground running”, but I’d rather walk my way through this year. The time passes all to quickly already. Why run through it?

I hope this year brings joy in the mundane and peace in the unknown. If you had told me this time last year what things would look like now, I’d be stunned. There is so much life to be lived in a year, and we truly have no idea what it may hold. But as the year comes and goes, let’s aim to count God’s dealings with us as good, and thank him for every moment we see.