Say no more often to things that don’t matter. (I think another post on that is coming soon.)
Remember to take more pictures of my kids during the chaos of every day life. (Because a camera card full of mantel styling photos won’t be nearly as exciting 20 years from now.)
Read more, watch less reality TV (with the exception of The Bachelor, which starts tonight. Yippee!).
And, speaking of reading, I’m going to try to read newer books, instead of just my stack of 20-year-old Goodwill finds. After I finish this one
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Be more intentional about going out with my husband by ourselves. It’s hard to plan and expensive to do, but almost impossible to have a full conversation in our house unless we go out alone.
Be more of a finisher, and less of a starter. I’m always full of ideas, but short on time to actually carry them out. I start a project, get distracted, start something else. This will be the year of finishing what I’ve started—exciting or not.
What’s on your list for 2015?
(We could call them resolutions, but that’s too much pressure.)
Great list! Jimmy Wayne sang at our church this past year and gave me chills!
I don’t even know a song that he sings, but I love a good comeback story. My husband is reading it now. Hard to believe things like that happen in our backyard. :(
I am a starter too! I also have many projects to finish up in the new year. I am looking forward to dwindling that list down to nothing :)
An idea for your consideration that the hubs and I did when he was teaching at a small Baptist college and we had no spare funds: if your littlest ones are in any kind of playschool and your husband’s job schedule permits, try having some lunch dates. It’s not as glamorous as a dinner date, no, but the child care is already in place, lunches are usually cheaper than dinners, and at least it’s something.
i love these goals, emily!!! last year i made it a goal to read one book a month and ended up starting a blogger book club that has kept me going. i’ve read things i wouldn’t have chosen myself but have loved them all! you are welcome to join us!
Thank you–but I’m probably way to slow too join a book club :) I read five pages and then pass out. Relaxing.
I refuse to call them resolutions this year but “goals” or just “tasks” I can add to my to-do list. I think calling them resolutions means you open yourself to the idea of not doing them because that is what is expected. Some of your ideas are very similar to my own and I love that more of us thinking this way for 2015. Good luck and I can’t wait to see what you do this year.
I love your list, especially the part about taking pictures! I am terrible about capturing the moments that matter. I always worry that I’m being annoying when I take photos, or I get self-conscious about the way I look. Thanks for the inspiration, because when it’s all said and done, I am happy I took them anyway :)
I’m having several friends over for a Bachelor Viewing Party tonight! I’ve never done it before, but I thought it would be fun. Wine and snacks are at the ready. :-)
looking forward to the Bachelor too :)
I feel so much better when I hear others who are strong starters! My whole home feels like an unfinished project. Before one room’s paint is even dry, my brain is onto the next space.
I’m with ya!
Happy New Year and good luck ; )
Looks like a good list! I’m all for goals and plans rather than resolutions! :)
Being more of a finisher really rings true for me too, you put words to some of my own thoughts. Good Luck to you in 2015.
Love reading your goals and I can totally relate to each one! I am going to work so hard at just focusing on today. Not all of the days ahead and their to-do list, but just today. And I just posted about how I’m hoping to help my kids set some small goals too. Love the beginning of the year!
This is a great list. I’ve vowed to take more pictures of the girls as well. Happy New Year!
I loved What Alice Forgot. It was the best book I read last year.
My list:
— spend more time just sitting with my kids and listening
— follow through…on everything that’s important
— rest more
A few months ago I decided to start listing those things that make me happy each month. A nice way of “forcing” yourself to think about the good stuff since women tend to beat themselves up every month, actually every day, for the things they are not, they things they did not do, the things they said etc. I have done this and posted about it on my blog for the past 3 months and find that it makes me remember those things all over again and get happy once more. I purposefully set no resolutions, no annual goals and no long lists for this year…I am going to take it a day at a time.
I love your book ideas! My guilty pleasure is the Bachelor too! We will be blogging every week about it! Check it out!
http://www.BeckyandBrittany.com
Did you get tired of the shamrocks? I remember when you did this project and thought to myself…..wow……that’s ambitious! As a “starter” type, I could see myself starting that project and never finishing. A room with half of a wall filled with shamrocks would be an epic fail for me and would be a brutal reminder why I need to keep it real. I’m happy when I can simply get a fresh coat of paint on the wall~haha! And with FIVE children to boot~~~ you are a better woman than I, Emily! Love your free wheeling spirit!
So funny – I’m watching my favorite trash TV show (the Bachelor) as I’m reading through your post :) I’ve got many of the same goals for 2015 – looking forward to following along with all that you do!
Great plans! I’ve been trying to read more too but seem to fall asleep after reading a few pages but it’s better than staying up too late on my phone and not being able to fall asleep! I’m trying to listen to more music too and take better care of the things I already own and get rid of the things that don’t bring me joy. Looking forward to your blog this year!
I love your list, Emily. Authentic as always. I hear you on actually finishing projects. My project management skills are severely lacking. Ack, I can’t believe the clovers are getting painted over! I’m sure you’ll come up with something even better so I’m looking forward to that.
Sounds a lot like my list. My “to read” list is overwhelmingly long, it’s time I start reading more. And I made an actual paper list of the things I need to finish and it is soooo long! I may not have time to start any more projects this year. And I’m going to stop using that money I set aside in the budget for date night on other things and actually plan date nights too! I’m hoping these things become habitual for me beyond 2015. :-) Happy New Year!
First off… Hope all is well!! Your family is so beautiful :) So blessed!! 2nd, I am redoing Claire’s room and she wanted to paint it green and I remembered you saying you were liking green at some point last year. Thanks for posting the above pic… timely :) and what color green is it please?
Hey Speedbump! ;) It’s Raleigh Green by Benjamin Moore. Love how it looks so far, but I still haven’t gotten farther than trimming the room… Hope you all are doing great. Happy new year!
I love #2! Have you seen Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown? It’s nonfiction but reads easy. I think you would like it; I did anyway. Laughing more is on my list. :)
I too am hopping on the reading train. A friend of mine decided to read 27 books in honor of her 27th year and ending up reading 42! That’s a bit ambitious for me but I’ve already read 1 of my 28 (don’t tell anyone that I started it last year) and have almost completed another one via audiobook. Not sure if it’s ever quiet in your car with all those adorable children but audiobooks have become my new obsession! Happy 2015!
Yes to all of these! Except the bachelor (for several reasons) and reading. Ha. I feel like between bible reading and studies and trying to keep up with blogs and inspiration – novels might make a reappearance when my kids are in college. :)
Emily, I totally love your list and plan on reading at least one of those books. Just to encourage you in going out with your husband more: We’ve been married for 43 yrs now and our kids mention that us going out meant a lot to THEM, too. In fact, our two kids gave us a 25th wedding anniversary party (they were in college then) and that is one of the sweet things they said in the toast to us: “Mom and Dad, thank you for taking the time to go out, just the two of you, because it made us realize that your marriage was important and that you liked/loved each other and weren’t just a mom and dad. It has made us want that in our future life one day.” You can imagine that those words just blessed our hearts and surprised us, too—that they’d noticed such a thing in our “priorities” in life. Love your Christ-centered ways, Emily….have a blessed New Year! Karen L.
Love that! Thanks for sharing :)