Goals for 2014

Goals, goals, goals. It's a new year, and I've been surrounded by talk of goals and resolutions. Most of the bloggers I follow have set goals for the upcoming year, which inspired me to follow suit.  But first, I have to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with goals.
Goals get you places and keep you motivated. I love checking off a list. However, they can also make you feel like a failure. I'm what you might call a "defeated perfectionist." I'm very particular about the little things I know I can control, but the big things that I know I couldn't possibly do to the standard I desire? I don't even try. Or I settle for "just good enough." The good news is that I don't often beat myself up over those things -- I just accept them for what they are and move on. With that in mind, I don't like setting goals where I risk failure. That's why I'm setting the bar low for many of these and giving myself room for grace. And by putting these goals out for the whole world (ok, my few loyal readers) to see, I have some actual accountability to accomplish them.
So, without further ado, here are my 2014 goals!


Personal Goals:

• Get serious about having a regular quiet time.  On January 4, I started a plan to read the Bible in a year on my YouVersion Bible App. This is something I've always wanted to do, but whenever I attempted it in the past, I would get discouraged and overwhelmed when I missed a day or two. Since I'm using the app this time, it should be less daunting because it will be easier to catch up if I miss a day. I'm going to be realistic about this one and allow myself one catch-up day a week. At that rate, I should be able to finish the whole Bible by the end of February 2015.  
• Exercise at least twice a week. I know I'm setting the bar pretty low, but I'm going to be realistic. During the summer, I had no problem getting exercise because we would go for walks almost every day. But now that it's cold out, I'm not getting outside like I did. We have an elliptical machine - I just need to use it. And twice a week is better than not at all.
• Re-evaluate my schedule and responsibilities outside the home. This is something I really have been thinking and praying about a lot.  I plan to dedicate a post to this topic in the future.

Household Goals:

• Find a Cleaning Routine that works. I had a good weekly routine at the last house, but this house has more rooms and different needs, and I just haven't found a good system yet. It will probably take a few attempts (it already has), but I need to find a system that works for me.
• Purge and organize the basement and garage. This is something Hubby and I try to do every year. It's amazing how much accumulates in those spaces!
• Finish the Family Room update. The paint is on the walls in the family room and adjoining sunroom/playroom!!! Now I just need to get a rug and some throw pillows, mantel art, etc, to finish the space. I am so excited to get one area of our house really finished!

Parenting Goals:

• Read at least one parenting book completely. I'm setting a low bar with this one too, but I know myself. Parenting books can be boring. Honestly, I have started a few and lost interest. So my goal is to read a whole parenting book from start to finish. :)
• Choose and memorize at least two Bible verses with Kiddo. Kiddo's language is exploding. He can now sing along to whole songs, though he still limits his regular communication to three or four word phrases. I think we're ready to make a concerted effort to hide some of God's Word in his heart. Right now I'm definitely thinking Micah 6:8, but I'd be glad to hear any suggestions for good starter Bible verses.
• Take Kiddo outside to play every day (or if it's too cold or rainy, play an active indoor game). I can be a bit wimpy when it comes to the cold, but Kiddo loves to be outside. Some days we just end up chasing each other in circles around the house. :) I'd like to add some new ideas to our indoor games repertoire.
• Have at least one play date a month. With all our activities, play dates haven't been on the top of my list. I want to build deeper relationships with my fellow moms in a less formal environment than MOPs or Bible Study.

Marriage Goals:

• Schedule an official date night (at home or out) once every month.
  This is something I've wanted to do for a while. We usually have dessert and coffee together on Friday or Saturday nights while watching a movie or favorite TV show, but I'd like to do something more intentional, preferably screen-free. We're not really into fancy dates - we'd rather do a meal out and mini golf than dress up for a night on the town.
• Do one special thing for Hubby each month.
  I like to surprise him with a note in his lunch or a special treat "just because," but I didn't do it as often as I would have liked last year. 

Blog Goals:

• Continue blogging throughout 2014. Above all, I want Pinspired Home to still be up and running in 2015!
• Monetize. I definitely don't expect to make any serious cash, but it would be nice to get a little income from the blog, if nothing else, to help fund projects. I've applied to Google AdSense, which is a first step.
• Write at least 6 "risky" posts. So far I've kept things pretty "safe" with menus, organizing, crafts, and recipes. I want to stretch myself by writing some more personal posts. That scares me a little, as it opens me up to the possibility of criticism, but I feel like it's time for me to get out of my comfort zone.
• Design at least 2 free printables. I don't think this will be hard to accomplish. I hope to share more than two, but this is a "safe" objective.
• Write at least 2 blog series or challenges.
  I learned a lot from my Stock Your Freezer Series. I hope to run better-planned and more organized series this year.
• Take better advantage of social media.I plan to accomplish this by communicating regularly on Facebook, joining Twitter, and joining a few group Pinterest boards.  

Wow. For someone who is not a goal person, I ended up with quite a list! Eighteen goals is more than I expected when I started, but I could have easily written down more. I don't think this list is unattainable, though. As my amazing sister and virtual assistant/editor put it, it's "more like accountability than tackling mountains." No lofty aspirations for me this year - just attainable goals with some healthy accountability from you, dear readers! As such, I hope to post monthly updates on my goal-achieving progress. Here's to a successful 2014!
So, how about you? Have you set any goals for the new year?