New Year “Goals”

Traditionally today is known as a day to make new resolutions. I’m a bit of a rebel and don’t usually jump in on this tradition. One year I had set my mind to make a personal change, and purposefully waited until February so as not to call it a new year resolution. A bit extreme I know, but too often good intentioned declarations of change result in short-lived effort.

I actually took the time to look up the definition of “resolve” and “resolution” which basically read as “to come to a determination; make up one’s mind.” For me, coming to a determination or making up my mind does not necessarily produce results.

This year, I’m starting a new tradition. I’m calling it New Year Goals. I know it doesn’t sound that much different, but a goal without a plan is just a dream and therefore not an achievable goal at all. Hence, I’m setting a goal and working on a plan.

My goals this year are to improve my families diet, and for me personally to engage in a regular exercise plan. By no means do I currently serve my family super sized fast food, and I’m not a dorrito eating couch potato. My goals are about being more deliberate and consistent.

My husband works in physical therapy therefore keeps up on fitness, diet fads and overall health. We’ve seen the movies King Corn and Food Inc. (if you have Netflix, these are available there the last I checked) We’ve researched and experienced the benefits of avoiding artificial colors and flavors as recommended with the Feingold Diet. We’ve read Eat to Live and Disease Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right. With all of this information, buying organic foods and free range meats are not always easy or possible for a one income family. (Forgive me vegetarians, but I enjoy bacon far too much to give up meat!)

The first step of the plan is to set a dinner menu. When we post a menu we stay on budget better, and our picky eaters complain less if they can see some of their favorite meals posted. A planned menu is also a great tool in reducing and cutting out processed foods. I like things very simple and made a 2 week dinner menu I can print out and write on.  I will be setting the menu based on food on hand, weekly grocery sales, and my families input on their favorite meals. I will also be considering our family activity calendar so lower prep meals will fall on busy days.

In our efforts to provide our family with healthy foods, we will be signing up for Bountiful Baskets. We’ve heard a few local friends talk about it, and are excited to try it.

The second step of the plan is pretty much all on me. Just yesterday I got my morning coffee and crawled back into my warm bed to do my morning reading. I am neither a morning person nor a colder weather fan. Not only that, but the colder weather makes my joints ache and working out makes my asthmatic lungs hurt…..Yep, that’s exactly the excuses I whined at the Lord when I knew I should really have been up and adding treadmill time to my morning. Thankfully He loves me so much that He took my morning reading to 1 Corinthians 6:19

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

What I really know is that I feel better when I exercise regularly. I just need to get up and do it! When I shared my mornings reading with my husband, and asked him for self monitoring resources to measure or track weight loss and exercise goals, he graciously fought back the smirk of ‘you just got corrected by God!’ and offered his full support. Here’s what he came up with for Tracking My Exercise Goals.

Have you set any New Year Goals?