Friday Favorites- Goals vs. Resolutions

It’s Friday so it must be time to link up with Narci, Erika, and Andrea for Friday Favorites. It’s almost March, a fair amount of resolutions have already been forgotten. That’s the problem with resolutions. I don’t “do” resolutions instead I focus on goals. While it might seem weird to talk about what seems like a “good for January only” sort of topic, the fact is that goal setting is something that needs constant refining…it’s a year round thing…and that certainly makes it a Friday Favorite for sure!

Goals vs. Resolutions, ever wonder how they are different? Resolutions are those lovely ideas that you come up with January 1st and are all but given up by February 1st. Giving things up…If you start your year off by trying to give something up (sugar, coffee, netflix binging…) you are setting yourself up for failure. Change the resolutions to GOALS…and suddenly you have something to work towards… GAINING something instead of losing. Look at this list…

• Give up sugar vs. Eat vegetables at every dinner
• Lose weight vs. Work out 3-4 times a week
• Stop drinking coffee vs. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day
• Stop binge watching Netflix vs. Read 6 books a month

I think it’s pretty easy to see which list would succeed and which would fail. The most important part of goal setting is to make them measurable! Avoid vague statements such as “work out more”. Instead give yourself a specific, tangible, goal. Perhaps something more like this…”Each month this year I am going to try a new work out style”. This is bound to encourage you throughout the year. Knowing that if you have a bad month, you can always start fresh the next.  Finally, goals should be reevaluated each month. Seeing what you accomplished and where you need to put more energy is a vital part of success.

I LOVE me some goal setting!! I spend roughly all of January contemplating, refining (which, apparently, involves making roughly 224 various lists! #imightneedalistintervention) and ultimately coming up with my yearly goals. They are different every year but typically I come up with anywhere from 3-8 goals in each of the following, fun, categories…

• Books
  
• Family
  
•  Crafts/Skills
  
• Organization
• Home improvements
• Travel
  

Of course your categories might be vastly different than mine…notice there is no “exercise”, “dieting” or other “self-care” categories. This is by design. I’ve found that nothing brings me down faster than failing in one of those three categories. Instead I focus on tangible goals and leave those three to deal with on a day-to-day basis…dealing with issues and situations as they arise. And lets face it…I do NOT need another gym membership #gymfailure! 🙂

 

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Before I get to my goals, lets first talk about the elephant in the room…

Here is the number one thing to start doing immediately…SAY NO! Seriously, it’s ok to say NO to heading up the PTA bake sale, or driving the carpool, or coaching little league baseball, or joining a gym, or throwing a co-workers baby shower. Repeat after me…”I’ve given your request to _(fill in the blank)______ a lot of thought…and I’ve decided now is not a good time for me.” That’s it, that’s all you have to do! It’s also ok to NOT chaperone every field trip, volunteer for every class party, or stay up late baking 35 Pinterest worthy cupcakes for your kids birthday at school. Your kid is going to be just fine, I promise! Even if they end up in therapy later in life it won’t be because you decided to get a mani/pedi instead of chaperoning the entire 4th grade field trip to the Natural History Museum! 😉

 

Ok, Ok…enough words…onto some pictures (and lists, of course!) of some of my goals, projects and ideas for this year…

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Hi, my name is Tina, and I’m a planner junkie…

Yup, it’s true…nothing makes me happier than the sight and smell of a brand new planner….AHHHH…the endless possibilities! Planners aren’t just a Friday Favorite, but an everyday favorite! Even with all the fancy technology out there, I’m still a paper and pencil kind of gal. I need to SEE my goals WRITTEN down to keep me on track. Right now I’m using three planners, one for my everyday (which includes my daily journal entry), one for party planning and one to keep track of our communities home owners association social functions, for which I am the committee chair. #alltheplannersallthetime 🙂

 

ORGANIZE!!!

1. This will keep our “by the pool” essentials close at hand
2. Having emergency supplies has literally been on my list of goals for THREE years! Fingers crossed that 2018 is the year it finally happens (we need to prepare for the zombie apocalypse!)  Five Gallon Ideas
3. The shelves where I keep party supplies are overflowing! Time to get organized! Just a Girl and Her Blog
4. I don’t know about you but we have atleast 92 water bottles. I love this storage solution…Container Store here I come!
5. With four kids sharing one pretty small bathroom, we need all the storage ideas we can get!

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HOME IMPROVEMENTS!

1. (It’s looking more and more like this goal is going to be pushed into 2019…BOO!) I’m Looking to make some changes in our master bathroom…mama needs a new tub!! I plan on adding shiplap behind our double vanity along with new lights and mirrors. Lots more shiplap ideas at Country Living
2. All my favorite paint colors in one place! Several of our rooms have been painted Mindful Grey…it is my go to…it’s a true grey with no leanings towards purple or blue. Looking to paint our bathroom and master bedroom one of these shades. Oh and by “looking to paint”, I really mean HIRE someone to paint! I love the end result but really and truly hate to do the actual painting. LOL!
   
3. Hoping to say bye-bye to the brown (BORING!) rocks that surround our pellet stove (and the icky brass on the stove too!)
   

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MAKE TIME TO BE CRAFTY!

1. My kids are always bringing me sweet bouquets of dandelions or daisys. They typically end up in a Star Wars cup. This hanging jar will be a huge improvement hanging next to my kitchen sink. Take a look at The Created Home for other cute ideas.
2. Those who know me know I LOVE graphic typography. I have many “A’s” (for our last name) and “6’s” tucked all over our house. I love celebrating our wonderful family of six. I’m inspired by this rustic family sign. If you want one just like it please visit WonderfullyMadeDecor on Etsy.
3. A number of years ago, I came into possession of my grandmothers old recipe box. She wasn’t the most talented cook, but her beautiful cursive handwriting deserves to be displayed. Framing one of her recipes will be a sweet way to show off a family heirloom and add a personal touch to our kitchen.
4. As I try and improve my photography skills I think this DIY lightbox Flax and Twine would really help.

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FAMILY TIME!

1. SWIM as much as we can!!
   
2. Have more game nights…these Minute to Win-it Games would be perfect
3. We have really slacked off on the rules lately. This No Screen Time Till… free printable may help us get back on track.
4. More quality family time is always a goal. With 100 ideas, this list must have something for everyone. If you are looking for more ideas for Quality Time…click here!
   
5. All the fire-pits all the time! Such an easy way to spend time together.
6. We started summer driveway movie nights last summer, so much fun…Already setting up the movie list for this year! I’m taking requests!
   
7. A summer bucket list. As a family we used to come up with bucket lists for every season but somehow got away from them…I’m thinking this is the perfect time to bring them back.
8. Plan a fun family getaway. (This one should have been checked off already…but life got in the way. Bye, Bye family ski weekend…hello to…..????)
9. Finally…I want to do this interview with each of my kiddos. I’ve completed one so far. Once I have them all done I’ll do a post on it! Grab this free printable from Crayon Freckles

PLACES TO GO!

1.A beach trip is on my mind. I’m not a sun lover but some of these Beach Ideas from Craftionary are too cute to pass up.

2.We typically cruise once a year and while I think our next cruise (southern Caribbean) won’t be until January 2019…I’ve got these tasty drinks from Carnival on my mind!

3.It’s time for college campus tours! This spring my daughter and I hit the road to check out several colleges she is interested in attending. I plan to make use of this guide.

4.Nick and I used to hit up a Bed and Breakfast once a year or so…and then we added two more kids to the family mix and somehow those mini-getaways fell by the wayside. While looking at college choices for Sarah, West Chester, PA came onto my radar. I love, love, love small towns and really hope to check this one out for a B&B weekend!

5.My mom and I have been fans of Drum Corp International (DCI) for almost 30 years. If you have no idea what drum corp is, start here! Concord Blue Devils Seriously, they are the best, although I may be biased seeing as I’m from Concord! While I may not make it to Indianapolis for the finals…I figure I can atleast make it to the Allentown show.  Check out this little Blue Devils Snippet

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Reading!

Reading is not just a Friday Favorite, but an everyday favorite for sure!!! My 2018 reading goal is 100 books. I read 97 last year! As of today…I’ve read 16 books! Take a look at my “Want to Read” List on Good Reads and if you are interested here’s my List of Books I’ve Read

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  Thanks for joining me for this odd February Topic! 🙂 Come back next Friday for more Favorites!

Looking for more Friday Favorites? Check these out…

Mom & Kid Dates + Chatbooks

The One Where I Talk About all Things Make-Up

Thoughts While Stuck in the Car (aka Mom Taxi)