I am Listy, I know.

A few goals for the new year~ to keep me grounded and improving. I know they seem lofty, but I think they are attainable. And anyway, I always encourage myself thus~

If you shoot for the moon and still you fail, at least you will be among the stars.
(A poster that hung above my 12 year old bed and bizarrely, stuck with me.)

Here we go!

Finances~

Every year we have a mortgage is a year that requires Matt to work at D.O. So until this thing is paid off, it will always be at the top of my yearly goals. The sooner we pay it off, the sooner we can try again at the home business thing. In the spring, we have to fix the foundation of the house and do some construction type things. So my financial goals are

• to create a new (and relevant) budget for 2012
  
• to pay off business debt
  
• to buy and pay off a bigger tractor for Matt that can be used for the bigger projects to come.
• to pay (at least) 10% of our mortgage off in addition to paying out of pocket for foundation work, repairs.
• to earmark money from EACH paycheck for our savings, no matter how small.
• to start a car fund as our paid off car is well over 100,000 miles now and inevitably, will need to be replaced at some point. Being prepared for that point can only be beneficial.
• Start up my Etsy Shoppe again.
  

Hopestead Goals-

ahhh! We have a Place. A place where I can finally begin to grow a place of permanence. Like perennials! And fruit trees! And ASPARAGUS! The problem now is not trying to do it all at once. My goal here should be to be WISE in my planning and PATIENT in the results. But more tangible goals are:

• To plant ONE particular type of fruit tree. (for now.) Cherry? Pear?
• To plant garlic in the fall.
• To plant potatoes in a just-for-them plot.
  
• To add ONE perennial (unless I can get them for free or at yard sale prices~ then you KNOW I will go nuts.)
• to find elderberries around the place.
• To clean out the cow barn and fix it so we can get some animals in there.
• To organize the granary.
• To cull the old chickens in our flock and get chicks in spring.
  
• to prune the very neglected rhodo., rose bushes and lilacs.
  
• to harvest and dry more herbs.
• To look into planting some medicinal herbs.
• Do one house project each month, no matter how small.
  

Personal Goals~

• to write a letter(s) on Sundays as a way of one-anothering one another ;-)
  
• Send Opa (my grandfather) mailings TWICE each month. At LEAST.
  
• A new twist in the whole "Christmas in July" bit~ I want to have half of my Christmas gifts made/prepared/bought by July. I am going to shoot for at least ONE homemade gift per month.
• To drink 60 ounces of water a day BEFORE I drink anything else.
• To exercise in some form 3 times a week.
• cut WAAAAY back on sugar
  
• One family read aloud each month.
• Scripture memorization once a month. For ME.
• Going through a devotional each day. Perhaps this one?
  
• Catechism questions for the children.
  

If you thought I was listy yesterday I am sure I proved it today. But wait! I am not yet done! Stay with me as the Listyness goes insane!

I think the key to success in resolutions in threefold:

1) Little, shorter term goals pave the way for yearly resolutions.

2) Keeping your eyes fixed on your resolve

and

3) evaluating your success/where you need to improve often.

To that end, (and this is where Listyness Goes Wild) I intend to post an update on my progress at the end of each month. Never done that before and perhaps it IS a bit O.C.D., but I think it just might be helpful. I have a terrible memory so if I forget and you remember (as if you care), please do hold me to it! And if (more likely) you hate all these lists and public notes-to-self I put on my blog, stay far far away from Renaissance the last day of each month! ;-)

I wonder~ does anyone else do resolutions each year?

{ quote photo by Home Sanctuary via Pinterest}