It's never too late to be better. (Resolutions)

(The result of me mocking my mug and my son mocking me.)

You knew it was coming... the resolutions post. 

It comes halfway through January- but it comes nonetheless!

Last year, I had ONE focus- doing hard things for the sake of my health.  And I did.  I focused the heck out of last year.  I read books about health.  I ate vitamins for the sake of my health.  I cut (LOTS of good and wonderful) foods out of my life for the sake of my health.  I exercised 3-5 times per week for the sake of my health.  I found a naturopath and had lots of appointments with her.  I spent money on appointments.  I took tests.  I talked about it.  I listened.  I prayed.  Basically, I nailed last years' resolution.   I learned a lot (and also not as much as I had hoped to) which I will take with me into this new year and the rest of my life.

But I was SO focused on my health that I could focus on very little else.  And this year, I am going to try to make up for that.

So here is my sundry list of goals for 2023. 

Life:

- Participate in the 2023 Literary Life Reading Challenge

- Read Paradise Lost 

- Write at least one letter per month. (I don't think I wrote a single letter outside of the Christmas letter last year.  For shame!)

- Write for 10 minutes each morning before I do anything else on the computer.  Maybe someday it will amount to something.

- Have in-laws for supper every Thursday.  They could use some blessing.

- Do at least one creative pursuit each month.  I know enough skills- now I would like to spend a bit more time DOING them.

- At the end of every month, print that month of both '22 and '23 photos to be put into photo albums.

- Delete 20 photos per day from the computer. (Yes, I have this much garbage.)

- Make/buy one Christmas present per month.  It makes December a bit easier to handle.

- Morning Time with Mama each school day- make this a priority!

- Make a monthly goal or focus and then GET 'ER DONE!

Hopestead:

- New roof on the house

- repair or rebuild chicken coop and fence.  Get new chickens.

- get a dairy cow that actually produces milk

- butcher barren cow(s?)

Health*:

- Daily Collagen

- Daily vitamins

- exercise 3 times per week

- eat low/no sugar and low/no gluten at home and whenever possible (This will not be a hill I die on while being shown hospitality.)

- be macro aware of eating and for the first month or so of the year, I plan to track my food on MyFitnessPal.

*A note on the Health goals~ notice I did not include a number of pounds to lose?  That is because, despite my best efforts last year for all but the last two months of the year, I seemed not to be able to lose any weight after the initial two months.  I worked out at least three times a week- sometimes five.  I ate low carb, gluten free, and sugar free until November.  I saw some great results in my movements and energy levels so I know these things are valuable and I want to feel that way again.  Friends encouraged me that I looked different as well but the scale didn't seem to budge past an initial plunge.  So I am not going to set myself up for failure here.  I don't know why I can't lose weight.  Making these goals, with or without weight loss, will be incredibly healthful to me and that is more important than anything.  That said, I do hope I lose some weight.  It is so discouraging doing the work but not seeing a move on the scale.  Especially when you have weight to lose!  

This year, I will count the 'doing' as the success and not the 'result'.  And frankly, why haven't I done THAT before?

And to show how serious I am about this:  I am SPREADSHEET SERIOUS.  ;-)

PS.  Also- don't you just LOVE the fella Ineke drew?!  He's my fave.