Well...It's a new year. It's a new year and it's a brand-new month. I thought I'd share a few of my resolutions for 2024 and also my goals for the month of January. I won't share them all, but a few of them.
Did you make resolutions for this year? I didn't last year but I think this year I need the grounding. Things look different from my side of things than they did this time last year. And while I know that life can be unexpected, I've found that having resolutions and making goals is somehow very grounding, something I needed desperately last year, and it took a year of free falling to understand that!
My theme for this year of 2024 is based on the Arthur Ashe quote I've used several years ago.
As you follow me through this year, I plan to utilize this phrase in whole or part through most everything I do in my home.
Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.
On the resolutions list:
#1. Daily scripture reading. I was in the habit, had been for years, then I started skipping it and then I wasn't reading at all. I NEED this in my life, I need that grounding and so in December, I made it a priority to get back to it. I resolve to continue.
#2. Time alone for both John and me. Not just for us together, but for each of us to have a few minutes space in every single day when we're not together, or with a grandchild, and we can breathe in and out and center our hearts and minds and gather in calm.
#3. Say neither "No" nor "Yes" to any request until I've judged how tired I am at that moment. I'm going to give myself the gift of time and consider what I have on my plate in the days ahead. Honestly, when tired it's never wise to give an answer. If some folks feel it's necessary to have a 24-hour heads up before they can agree to come to dinner, then surely the same can be granted to someone who is tired/having a rotten day/week before making a decision about childcare, agreeing to help with a project, etc. Right?
#4. Stop trying to please everyone. I'll take liberties here with a famous quote by a well-known president...You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time, and some people can never be pleased at all. Just get over it and move on. This one must be a great one for the year ahead because doggone if it hasn't been tested almost daily for the past two weeks or so when I first wrote it down!
#5. Savings. When we first got married, John put some money aside every pay period. Then we started tithing and we've never stopped. Savings, however, has been a mixed thing. I purposely set aside a certain amount of money each month meant to be used as sinking funds for annual fees, but savings just for the sake of savings we did only when we could and generally came in lump sums from windfalls or gifts. This year, I want to make savings just as much of an absolute as tithing has been. Yes, in a year when we'll have a little less income and a little more outgo, I want to incorporate routine savings. It will be a challenge and a sacrifice, but I'm determined to do all I can to manage it. And no, I don't mean this to be money we use right away for a specific purpose. I just want to rebuild some of our savings.
January Goals
#1. Our church members generally join in a 21 day fast. I plan to join in as well. One of my goals will be a yearlong resolution as well: I cuss. I do and I'm sick of hearing words come from my mouth that I don't want to think much less say and hear. That's just one of the things I'm 'fasting from'. I hope to also fast from all but the first coffee of the day, chocolate, and Instagram and all short videos on Instagram or YouTube.
I've spent so much time on those apps 'hiding' out with a child stuck to my lap or when I was worn out and too tired to think. One of my pastor's calls it Doom Scrolling. Truth, you can come across some funny things but a lot of them will cause anxiety, pick scabs, rub salt in wounds, and generally disturb your peace of mind.
Instead, I can pick up a book to read or write or color or work on a project or just sit and do nothing. I know that these must be the right things to fast from because I promise you, I have had 19 excuses why I should come back and delete some of these (Instagram and shorts films and coffee) and not do this at all.
#2. I hope that John and I can get over to the mountain this week...and if not this week, then this month. We had one of the harder holiday seasons this past year and I feel the need to go to a place where we traditionally have found it beneficial to go for deep prayer in times of trouble.
#3. Get out of the house alone at least 1x a week. I don't care if I just drive across town to go to the old church I grew up in and walk the cemetery there, I just need to get in the habit once more of doing things all by myself. Also, there is some shopping I want to do, in person, not online, and John loathes shopping. I'd like to get into the habit once more of going out to do my own shopping. Frankly I'm much less spendy in person than I might be online.
#4. Declutter. Truth, the kitchen got a good hard decluttering when I went to put things back. A few more things likely could leave that room, but I intend to intentionally work in each zone area as I am cleaning each week this month and see what else we can remove from the house. I have pieces of furniture that aren't working for us, and things shoved in cabinets that I haven't looked at or touched in a year or so. Time to let go of a load of stuff that is doing me no good and might be of use to someone else.
#5. I'm pretty sure I can plant a few things this month. Like peas, carrots, lettuces, spinach...I'll check online but I'll see what the guidelines for my area say.
#6. Pantry/Freezer Challenge all month long. As of this writing I am already very low on salad making items and cheese but I'm not going to push back starting this. I'm just going to jump right in and do what I can.
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9 comments:
You've made some excellent resolutions and goals. #4 is hard, but so important, and I agree about waiting to make decisions if you're tired. I hope you have a wonderful 2024.
I have done the 24 hr notice especially to a child that was dropping her 4 off in driveway when I didn't even know they were coming. Since I worked from home she thought it was okay.Got called a couple nasty names but that was okay.... then her younger sister did it to her with her four and told her pay backs were H. I do drive them nuts once in awhile when I remind them I am here to PLEASE GOD, not them. I walk the perimeter (started back up) or take dog for ride for my alone time, Hubby hides in barn. We both have removed apps from phones and both use a timer for computer time. I've just started back journaling at bed time. We agreed again to start decluttering AGAIN, still, some more.
Hubby grew up rolling over debt on the farm loan so he is not a saver what so ever. I grew up with 2 savers that knew how to make a penny scream.
Mother had a "bad" mouth.Dad's line was GOD Bless it. She tried the pay the jar for each cuss word. Lasted about a week. When she went to replacing the cuss word with another word it worked better. She got a lot of laughs about urinating her off, manure, manure, manure etc.
2024 is going to be a nasty year from the looks of it. I just plan to repeatedly give it to GOD.
Hubby and I are still doing scripture writing and will write all of Genesis this year. It has been life changing! We both finished all of 2023 and I am so proud of us. That quote in #4 was a favorite of my Dad's and we heard it often. Our savings is automatically transferred so it takes no effort and we always do it monthly. Otherwise maybe it would not get done.
Need to work on my cussing, too. But I'm too weak to give up coffee and chocolate.
Just found your blog on A Working Pantry” love it!
I have found that getting rid of excess stuff makes keeping a clean and organized house so much easier. Plus there is just such a free feeling from rest stuff. Good luck on your goals for 2024 especially alone time.
I used to have a real potty mouth that I blamed on working on newspapers. (The language in a newsroom can get pretty blue). I always wanted to stop, but never could. About 30 years ago I experienced a miraculous event that saved my life and the life of my daughter. For one time in my life, I could directly connect it to a prayer said 4-5 hours earlier. A prayer that I thought was kinda dumb at the time. An event so miraculous that most people did not believe it occurred (my church did). To say this was a sobering experience is to put it mildly. The interesting thing is that as I told people about my experience--which had no other explanation than being a God thing--I stopped swearing. Not gradually...right off the bat.
I am embarrassed to say that I started using some words I wish I didn't, like SHIT and PISS, but I never take the Lord's name in vain. I'd like to stop using these words. My vocabulary is better than that! (but they are descriptive!)
My one resolution this year is a big one: FLYLADY. It is my only real goal. I am almost 78 years old and have been embarrassed by my housekeeping all my life. I have tried to get organized and once completely decluttered, cleaned and organized my home, but didn't keep it up and I I failed yet again. A friend recently challenged me to do Flylady with her. If I'm allowed NOT to shine my sink if I don't feel like it, or subscribe to her e-mails, I'm going to give it a try. A hard try. The other thing I am not doing is decluttering my house before I begin. I know if I have to wait until I've decluttered, I'll never get started. My house is not overly cluttered, except for the garage, which is mostly my husband's doing. I discovered long ago that if you don't have too much STUFF (you know what I wanted to say, LOL) there is less to pick up and put away or get rid of. Also I decluttered last year...or was it the year before? Anyway, I feel I can get rid of STUFF as I go.
Now, Terri, would you like to continue the grocery and "in my pocket" challenges with me? You could use it to build savings for the sake of savings.
What we did, friends, is set a monthly grocery budget for 4 months. Mine was $300 per month for 2-3 adults, but I also needed to rebuild my pantry and freezer (which I did, in a big way). I went over a bit, but this is how I did: September, $308.76; October, $292; November, $315.14; and December, $317.39. I went over budget 3 out of the 4 months, but I still averaged just over $305 per month and I bought a ton of meat. If it was on sale and we use it, I bought it! A LOT of it!
The "in my pocket" challenge was for out-of-the ordinary money coming in, such as refunds, cashing in CC and other rewards, an unexpected insurance reimbursement, etc. Money I wasn't expecting, sort of like windfalls. Anyway, my goal was $125 per month. September, $315.14; October, $410.46; November, $407.36; December, $105.14 = $1,238.10. This is more than I spent on groceries!! I cashed in quite a few travel-related rewards for a trip and earned $80 in rewards when we got a CC to buy an iPad for my husband. BUT STILL. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I might save this much. Now we all get windfalls from time to time, but this time I put it "in my pocket."
Happy New Year to everyone here!
All great resolutions, and I have found that once I get started, it becomes easier. It is said that you can form a new habit in 21 days.
Years ago, I quit smoking after 40 years of the bad habit---and it was the hardest thing I ever did. Not sure where the resolve came from, but I prayed a lot during my suffering! It's been over 20 years now.
I am organized by nature, so decluttering is part of that. But, I still have too much stuff I think, when every cupboard, closet, and drawer is full.
Happy New Year! I love your blog. Thank you.
Cindi, I can't name the number of times I've thought I'd say a hasty No and then after rest, I found that the day had gone so much more pleasantly than I'd supposed it might the day before when I was weary. I've learned to wait and then see how rest will make me feel. Never have regretted that.
Juls, I am trying the replacement word thing. If I do slip up, I repeat the sentence with a nicer word used instead.
Delores, yes, it's that lighter feeling that spurs me on!
Lej Mom, John did the same thing with cigarettes about 27 years ago. Just put them down and prayed a LOT.
I too am organized but decluttering routinely is a part of maintaining my organization. After six months of living with stuff packed in boxes I know that I could still pack up more of the kitchen and survive just fine. It was a little inconvenient but it wasn't impossible.
Max, Indeed I am in for the year. I didn't save as much money as Max did, but I did save all of what we needed to cover Christmas gifts this year! I think that's pretty darn good. And here in the last week of December, I managed a solid $16.59 in my pocket as a start for this year.
Anne, I'm glad to hear that others share my vice. Not that I approve of my vice, because I don't, but it does help to know that I'm in company with others who also have a struggle with this.
Patti, thank you for stopping to comment! You are very welcome here.
Karla, I'm keeping good company this year, lol.
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