4 simple goals (before 2013)

(photo credit: A Beautiful Mess)

I was reading A Beautiful Mess this afternoon. Elsie's latest post is all about setting achievable goals before the new year. Things that will make life richer and happier on a daily basis. Things that are more about process than results. Things that are personal.

She also blogs about rewarding yourself for your efforts, and celebrating (and blogging about) your goals at the end of the year. Sounds kinda good. I've been busy overwhelming myself lately, so maybe playing along with Elsie will be good for centering by busy mind and keeping me present in the moment. I'm discovering lately that, especially where my kiddo is concerned, time passes so quickly.

So here are my four:

1) Remember what's important, and make those things your priorities. I recently accepted an offer from my old job to start doing book cover design again part time from home. I've had a lot of worries about it; part of the reason I left back in January was that I felt I was focusing more on my work than I should have been, and not paying enough attention to my kiddo. Who is two years old now, and desperate for it. So my first goal is to just keep things in perspective. The kid comes first. Always. Everything else is the background music supporting that particular soloist.

2) Keep blogging twice or three times a week. Because it's for me. It's the selfish thing I do to feel like I'm part of a community and to share my projects, thoughts, and ideas. And it's important. No matter how many or how few people read, it's important because it's mine.

3) Keep trying. Finish what you start. I'm great at coming up with ideas and getting things going. What I'm terrible at is following through. If I hit a bumpy patch or things aren't turning out right, I move on to something else, intending to come back "some day". The blog is pretty good for keeping me on task (I need "After" photos!) but I still get flaky sometimes. I need to focus on getting all those starts finished.

4) Practice patience. Every day. I need to count to ten, lower my voice, make myself be calm. Because getting worked up doesn't help me, and it doesn't help anyone else around here either.

5) Bonus Goal: Keep moving. Be active every day. I need to remember that if I want my kid to grow up and not be a couch potato, I have to be out there showing him how. Because kids take after their adults, more often than not.

So there are mine! Thanks for the inspiration, Elsie! I look forward to checking back in over at A Beautiful Mess in a few months to see how everyone's goals help them through the fall and winter.

So, what are your goals for the next quarter of this year?

Thanks for reading!