{Yes, I know it’s painfully obvious the tree on the right is larger than the one of the left}
There is just something about writing goals down and committing to them over the course of an entire year that really appeals to me. Forget about those 30 day goals… I need a good 365 to accomplish mine. Some of my goals this year will be a walk in the park, others I’ll enjoy powering through, but a few of the other ones, well, those will be a long drawn out process.
If I’m being completely honest, I feel like ever since phase 1 of our remodel wrapped up, my mind {and body} has gone to mush. Over the past 6 weeks I’ve gotten incredibly lazy. I took a lot of time off, lounged around in my pj’s, and slept way more than necessary. I’ve shrugged off projects, over committed myself, missed deadlines, and pretty much walked around in circles unsure if it was because I just didn’t give a crap or if I was feeling seriously overwhelmed and just couldn’t dig in and get what needed to be done, done.
It’s a strange feeling. Last year I was away from home at least a dozen different times and I honestly don’t know how I got anything done. Looking back to 2013, I REALLY don’t know how I had the energy to complete so many projects, garden 24/7, write this blog, take boatloads of pictures, edit them, cook, clean, eat, be a wife and a mother and still function as a normal human being.
Maybe 2013 was when I reached my personal peak and it’s all downhill from here?
Who knows.
One thing I know for sure is that if I don’t set a few goals for 2015, I’ll keep spiraling downward and end up with a house full of unfinished projects, 52 cats, and a bunch of empty tuna cans laying around. So see, goals are good. They keep us moving. FORWARD. And off meds. 😉
So here we go, here are my new goals for 2015
1. Get Organized. Bottom line, I need to get my **it together.
2. Run, walk or crawl a Marathon, half marathon, 10k, and 5k race this year. Let’s face it, I need to be in better shape. I’m getting old and stuff is starting to jiggle. Those skinny jeans that I was finally able to fit into last year? Umm, let’s just say they totally don’t fit anymore. I’m not really a runner, but I do like to walk fast. Just not in the hip swinging, fast walking kind of way.
3. Remodel our Master Bathroom, Master Closet and Monkey Boy’s Bathroom. Chino and his crew will be here in early spring and the goal is for them to be out of here before The Girl comes home for summer vacation. {Since we will be staying in her room during the remodel.}
4. Finish Every Room in Our House. I basically want our house to be totally completed on the inside {read: no empty rooms and stuff hung on the walls} by the end of the year. Currently, there are only 2 rooms in our entire house that a fully done/decorated/looks like a real room. Monkey Boy’s Bedroom and The Girl’s Bedroom. Everything else is still a mismatched chaotic mess.
5. Turn Spare Bedroom into a Cozy Home Office Space for myself. I am currently working out of the HH’s office and he wants it back {even though all that’s in there is a desk and chair}.
6. Create a Vegetable Garden. {Our backyard is heavily shaded so this will be a challenge}.
7. Build a Path into the Hillside for Easy Access to the Upper Garden. {I’ve never had to do this before so I hope I don’t mess it up}
8. Limit my personal spending to $100 a month. I spent way to much on crapity crap last year, so I decided the best way for me to stop spending money on frivolous stuff was to stick $100 fun money in an envelope at the start of each month and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
9. Purge… Weekly. Find 10 things each week to donate to the thrift store. I thought I did a pretty good job of getting rid of stuff we didn’t use anymore before we moved. Until I unpacked everything.
10. Read 1 book a week. – My goal is to read 52 books this year {1 book a week}.
11. Slow Down. – Do one thing for myself each week.
12. Canning – Life was sort of crazy last year and I feel like I sorta fell off the canning wagon and I’d like to hop back on it this year. Ideally, I’d like to open my pantry at the end of the year and have rows and rows of home canned goodness staring back at me.
So there you have it, my goals for 2015. How about YOU?
~Mavis
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Annie says
SO GLAD there aren’t any secret plans this year. The suspense would kill me! Cheers to you in 2015. You did such a great job of accomplishing your goals last year. You’ve got this!
Maryalene says
Those are really ambitious goals!
I love setting goals and making resolutions too, but I’m trying something slightly different this year. Every month, I’m going to focus on one of Ben Franklin’s virtues. So for January it’s temperance which means no overindulging in food or drink.
Lori B. says
Mavis, I will be eager to see what you do with your shady garden. I have never had a really successful vegetable garden because so much of my yard is shaded.
PattyB says
Lori, I bet Mavis will be Ms. Lumberjack and buy a chainsaw and bye-bye trees! That little saw the HH bought her won’t be big enough. She’ll be branching out…. [hahahaha..love it when I crack myself up!]
PattyB says
I’m still working on my goals. hehe
Debbie says
Love the purge idea to make it happen I would need a framed print out as a reminder, just might to that today.
Kathy says
We also downsized this year. We were never pack rats but got rid of so much. But like you, I can’t believe how much we still have. This year I’ll continue to purge. Already we find that this smaller home combined with a commitment to a more minimal/simple lifestyle and home, we aren’t spending on the “crapity crap” you mention. Feels great!
Laurie says
What about secret goal number 3?
Tamara says
Mavis, there is nothing wrong with the individual goals you’ve listed; taken all together, it is an ambitious agenda of major items – just like those of 2014. Which may be why you sorta crashed. Pace, pace, pace, and give yourself some grace and time to rest!
Blessings to you and your family in this New Year!
Delores says
Your goal posts and updates are some of my favorites! I am so glad you are continuing this year again. As for walking around in pajamas and not doing much — it happens. You had a crazy year: girl going to college and you all moving to a new house. I think the fact that you got all the stuff done that you did is incredible. Keep up your hard work and I look forward to these weekly updates this year!
Sandra says
If you are open to a book recommendation, I suggest The Boys in the Boat. It is the true account of the University of Washington’s rowing team, which competed in the 1936 Olympic Games. Sounds boring, but it is actually a great coming-of-age story of one young man’s journey from abandoned child to successful adult. It has adventure, suspense and a touch of romance. I don’t usually get enthralled by sports, but I loved this book. It starts a bit slow, but picks up quickly.
Renay says
My husband is reading this book!
Beth says
Thanks for being real with this post. Sometimes it can seem as though life is so blah – but what you put into it, you get out of it (and then some) and you have to snap out of the fog sometimes to get back on track.
Love your goals and your site! :o)
Lisa B. says
I love your updates about goals and accomplishments, too (though I also really enjoyed the before/after remodeling, so looking forward to more of that, too).
I don’t know if I can manage a book a week as a goal, but I am going to try to read more this year also. I usually have one audiobook going (on my commutes) and one print book that I’m reading at a time. Last year was the first full year that I had both types of reading going on and I completed 35 books, so I guess that’s my number to beat this year. I didn’t try too hard last year. I know I can do better if I don’t get too addicted to those darn games on my phone.
My other goals are financial/material– save more and also replace some of our old, not-in-good-condition furniture. We also bought a new house and sold our old house last year, so I think it will be easier to make progress on financial goals without having those two things going on this year!
Peggy says
It seems you have your ‘it’ together! If you had my ‘it’…oh my…then you would be in trouble! Glad to see you are taking time for yourself, we all need that! Happy mom = Happy house! 🙂
CathyB says
Love the new goals and am looking forward to seeing the progress on them this year! But don’t forget to fill us in on secret project #3 from last year! Even if it didn’t get done, I am still so curious to know what it is.
Diana says
Where is the final 2014 goals update?
Madam Chow says
Some of these are my goals, too. As for 52 books, have you heard of the 2015 reading challenge? http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com
Gwen in L.A. says
Some of our goals are very similar. NO inside construction, but need new heavy duty ‘security” screen doors, and garage doors.Which means new door frames and thresholds. argh.
I followed your list last year and was a bit sad there was no Mystery Goal to ponder this year.
May you have a fun, prosperous and satisfying MMXV.
teri says
Love the idea of reading one book a week. Will you be listing them for us?
Happy New Year Mavis and family!
Vy says
I love your reading goal! Everyone should read more 🙂 I track my reading through Goodreads (I’m Vylotte over there), they have a challenge tracker. I highly recommend it.
I absolutely need to simplify and declutter this year. I’m usually pretty religious about purging and only keeping that which I love, but alas the rest of the humans in the house don’t have my same convictions, and boy stuff creeps in.
Sonja says
I too am inspired by your yearly goals. I made out my “rough draft” and have challenged some of my friends to take on the challenge. Love your blog! Happy New Year!
Holly says
We must be on the same woowoo wavelength! One of my 2015 goals is to read a book a week also. Guess we need to learn to speed read too while we’re at it
Lori says
Still working on my goals…You helped shape some of my ideas better…THANKS!!! Hey, you may not remember me. I’m the mom of 8 sons (7 when we last spoke) It seems like my food budget goes up and up each each with all these growing boys!! YOu still give great advice, in which I am grateful!
Heather says
Three words: Hot Chocolate 5k/15k -in Seattle. They give you chocolate in your goody bag!
Kathy says
I set goals for myself every year but they aren’t nearly as lofty as the others I’ve read. I work for myself so, unfortunately, I don’t have the time to read a book a week but I am committing to a book a month and I’m aiming for some of the classics this year.
I also want to have some extra spending money at the end of the year and read about a weekly savings program called the 52 week money challenge where you set aside the amount of money corresponding to the week of the year. For instance, for the first week of the year you would put aside $1 and so forth until you get to the last week, week 52, where you put aside $52. At the end of the year you have $1,378 saved.
I sell on eBay and I’m going to reclaim my dining room table! It is piled with purchases that haven’t been listed for sale yet. I’ve set a goal to list new items nightly when I finish my other work and I’m relaxing and watching television. And I’m purging old merchandise that is listed and hasn’t sold.
I’m expanding my gardening and adding strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus in my flowerbeds. I’m also planning on planting some dwarf fruit trees and/or blueberry bushes in large containers. I live in a garden home so I don’t have the luxury of planting them in the ground. I do have two raised garden beds for vegetables.
Desi says
Love your goals Mavis.
Katie C says
I loved following your goals last year, Mavis! It inspired me when I read about those things that you accomplished. So! I decided to set 12 goals for this year as well. Thanks for the inspiration!
Mavis Butterfield says
You can do it Katie!!
Samantha says
I can recommend “Still Life With Rice” by Helie Lee as an excellent book to add to your reading list. If you get through it, then the sequel is called “In the Absence of Sun”. I saw them on an Oprah Book Club episode over a decade ago and could not put them down