Day 12: Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

Oh man, how lucky are you all? TWO blogs from me in one day?

I decided to go ahead and do another blog challenge entry. I may be getting it out of order, but I think the next one is about goals. I have a lot of different goals for myself, personally, professionally, financially, and others. Some are not a big deal at all, but I consider them goals because the feeling that you get when you reach a goal, no matter how small it is, will usually be enough to make you push towards other goals.

One of the things I've learned about setting personal goals is that I tend to be really hard on myself. I'm my own worst enemy, and I put a lot of undue pressure on myself to not only succeed but do whatever it is I'm trying to do perfectly. It's taken me a long time to realize that life isn't perfect and sometimes you have to go with the flow. I've also realized that the loftier the goal, the easier it is to get discouraged and give up. I've learned, slowly but surely, that I can't put so much pressure on myself and that I have to be more realistic. Instead of making a goal today to lose 60 lbs by May 1, which is completely ridiculous, I've learned to make a goal of "Lose 20 lbs over the next few months" then "Lose 20 more lbs over the few months after that" and "Lose the final 20 lbs". That looks much more attainable and far less daunting than even "Lose 60lbs by the end of this year", doesn't it? "To be the best mother in the world" sounds a lot harder than "Be less Mommie Dearest and more June Cleaver", right?

1. To get out of debt other than our house. We are Dave Ramsey-ites in our house hold to an extent. I wish we were a little more gung-ho about it but we're working on it. We're doing the debt snowball right now, and if my budgeting calculations are correct, we should be out of debt other than our house, by the end of this year. That means: no car payments, no loan payments, no doctor's bills hanging over our heads, and no (I repeat NO) calls from any collections agencies wanting their money. I am the first to admit, I was not financially responsible in my younger days, and as a result have caused myself some hardship now. But I'm very thankful to say that we are working harder than ever to get everything cleared up so we can just save, save, and save some more. Once we're out of debt, we have a few other goals: to replace both of our vehicles with ones we've paid for in cash, to save 6 months worth of expenses in savings, to start a college fund for Lily, and to move to a larger house with a 30 year mortgage and get it paid off in less than 30 years.

2. To lose the weight I'd like to lose. This is where my "Lose 20lbs" then "Lose 20 more lbs" and "Lose the final 20lbs" comes in to play. I'm trying to change my eating habits, my exercise habits, and do the whole healthy transformation. Of course, I'd like to see results immediately but I know that's not feasible. So I'm going to take it one day at a time, and try to look at every pound as a step in the right direction. Every piece of fruit I eat is a triumph over chocolate chip cookies, right?

3. To become more organized at home. I'm already making great strides with this one. I'm taking a room at a time, and cleaning it top to bottom. I'm purging things that we no longer wear, use, need, or want. Some of it I donate, and others I'm saving for a summer yard sale. The only room I'm having real trouble with is Lily's, because it hurts me to get rid of anything that is hers. I'm too sentimental. If I have a shirt in my closet that I haven't worn in a year, I haven't got a problem getting rid of it. But let me pick up a 0-3 months dress Lily hasn't worn in 8 months and I bawl like a baby. I guess a goal here should be to get less attached to some of her things.

4. To be more patient. I have found myself being more impatient and frustrated with things that are out of my control, or too silly to matter. In the grand scheme of things, getting impatient, frustrated, and angry won't change the outcome of any situation except make it worse. I'm working on being more positive and upbeat. There are two things letting everything get to me causes: stress and grey hair, and Lord knows I don't need any more of either. Happier people live longer, and happiness is contagious.

5. To be more "handy". This one is already in progress, too. I'm going to have a garden, learn to can and store vegetables, and learn to make my own jam. I'm also going to learn to sew. I think that homemade gifts and food is just so much more special. People appreciate the time and effort one puts into making something from scratch. Not to mention the taste is so much better. And I like that I will have the opportunity to make things for Lily that no one else has! Maybe, and this is probably lofty, wishful thinking, I could get good enough at all of these to make some money by selling it to others! One can only hope, right?

Professionally, I just want to get to a position where I'm happy, and don't mind coming to work everyday. I'm pretty sure that is waiting for me in the new position I have with the bank.

And, of course, I strive every day to be the type of person that people can count on, talk to, and want to be around. I want to be a good, strong wife and an example of an honest, empowered, smart woman for Lily (and any other future children). I want to enjoy every moment I can with my family and friends, and be as positive and shining example as I can be for those around me.