I wanted to take a few days and post about the different resolutions and lay out how I want to tackle each of them. All of the experts say that it's incredibly important to make goals that are SMART (that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed), so I am going to follow that example with my 2014 resolutions and see if that makes a difference in "getting there" this time.
The first resolution for 2014 is to make a habit of getting into the Presence of God daily. Without the Presence, nothing else will come to fruition and the Presence is what I want to crave. If I am honest, at this point, I do not want the Presence more than anything else, but I want to want Him more than anything. My goal is to spend time in the Presence of God daily, so to do that, I am going to start by getting up 15 minutes earlier than I am used to waking. I will find a book or devotional in the next week to jump-start my engagement with Holy Spirit. I will read for a few moments and then wait. I will write whatever I feel the Lord speaking, or whatever I want to say to Him in a journal. My hope is that after I have done this for a few weeks, it will become second nature to me and I will begin to long for this time with God.
My second resolution for this year is to concentrate on my marriage and really work on my relationship with Zach. We have had our share of roller coaster years, and I would love to be in a place where we are constantly working on loving each other well, and soaring together! To do this, I am going to begin learning as much as I can about what it means to honor and submit to my husband. I will look to the Word of God and to godly books and counselors to learn what I need to know and how to be the best wife to my husband that I can be without delving into perfectionism or legalism. I will make a point to communicate my needs and wants with Zach and also ask for feedback about his needs and wants. I will request a date weekly to get away and be together, even if it's strolling through Barnes and Noble or the mall. Even when I'm tired. Zach's days off are different each week. And we live with my parents. This means we have to be creative in order to enjoy time together and not get short with one another.
My third resolution is to get on the bone marrow donor registry. (As I was typing out this blog, I decided to just go to the website bethematch.org and start the process. Unfortunately, I am over their BMI limit for new donors. I will be working to get under a BMI of 40 so that I can get on the registry which would be a weight of 225 or less.)
My fourth resolution entering 2014 is to retake Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and get back on track with our financial goals. Zach and I want to be debt free and increasing in net worth so that we are able to live and give like no one else. We took the class a number of years ago, but have lost momentum. I have already (yesterday) registered for FPU that starts on January 12th. This is a 9 week class that will offer a lot of accountability and advice. Excited for that to start!
My fifth 2014 resolution is to buy a car! Zach and I sold our cars in July and borrowed a car while we lived in Memphis. We moved to Tyler, TX in September and have been living with my parents. My parents have been very kind to give us rides to and from work (Zach mostly walks) and allow us to use their cars when needed/wanted. But I miss my independence! I miss being able to drive myself to work and when I start school, it won't be an option to be car-less. We have $1950 saved to buy a car with cash, and are hoping to add $500 this month to get it up closer to $2500. I would like to buy a car by January 15th.
My sixth New Year's goal is to pay off at least $20,000 in debt this year! I know that seems like a lot, but if we can continue living with my parents for only $250 a month, that is more than doable. Our plan right now actually is more like $21,700.
My seventh resolution for this year is to get started on prerequisites to get into nursing school. My long term goal is to become a certified nurse midwife, so the first step is nursing school! I plan to take the prerequisites at Tyler Junior College and then transfer to University of Texas at Tyler for a BS in Nursing. I have already filled out my FAFSA and will be calling on Monday to find out what I need to do to be completely ready to register for classes.
The eighth resolution for 2014 is multifaceted. It is to focus on taking care of my health, losing weight, and kicking PCOS in the face. To take care of my health is a very open topic. I would like to concentrate on working out 3-4 days a week by swimming or other aerobic exercise. I would also like to get a massage every month, at the massage school for $31. I am very interested in holistic treatment of the body and essential oils are interesting to me, along with herbs and vitamin intake. I want to learn as much as a I can about these things. I received a book for Christmas that will help me learn more. I would also like to lose over 100 pounds this year. I will commit to a Paleo lifestyle 90% of the time, with room for occasional "rewards". I feel that as I lose the weight that it will become more of a reward in itself, so I see that window getting smaller as I do. The reasons for weight loss are myriad. I want to get on the Bone Marrow Donor Registry and must weigh under 225. Today my weight is 334.3. I want to get into a healthy place to be able to have children.
PCOS stands for polycystic ovarian syndrome, and I was diagnosed around 10 years ago. It's a condition that is considered non-curable, but is treatable. I believe that God heals. I also believe there are things that are within my power to do to kick this in the face as much as possible. One is eliminate processed sugar, dairy, and bad fats from my diet. See ya ice cream. See ya cakes and cookies and pies. But this is a necessary step to get this PCOS kicked in the teeth. I will also be looking into supplements, essential oils, and vitamins that help with the symptoms (facial hair, lack of ovulation, excess weight gain) and the root cause (hormone imbalance). I am feeling very hopeful that with all of my knowledge already obtained, plus all the stuff I will learn this year, I will be able to tackle this head on!
My last resolution for 2014 is to get into a discipleship program where I am being mentored and also mentor another woman/women. I want very much to grow spiritually and also grow relationally with other women! This seems like a great year to target that. I will be going to Bible study weekly at a new friend's house and will be on the lookout for someone to pour into as well as someone I trust to pour into me. I am really excited about this goal!
That will do it for now. This blog has literally taken me all day to type because we've been busy de-Christmasing the house and clearing out clutter. That's a beautiful thing.
