Last year was my first year doing 100 Small Things and I learned a lot. I learned not to list specific books I am going to read. I much prefer to follow what I want to read on a whim. I think it would also be smart to post my 100 small things list somewhere in my house, like maybe in the office, so I can look at it and plan different ones to accomplish each week, as well as check them off as I go. As I looked at my last list and discovered I hadn't accomplished 30 of the items, I had to remind myself that the list still had its intended effect-- I accomplished far more than I would have without it. And that's the whole point.
All that said, I was excited to write a new 100 Small Things list for this school year (being married to a teacher and having three elementary age kids means I live my life according to the school calendar, not the regular one. Haha!) So here it is!
"EMBRACE" GOALS: 2017
**these are my New Year Resolutions for 2017 that help me "embrace" this life I'm living.**
- 10pm bedtime for myself (9:30pm "turn in")
- No swearing
- Read 50+ books
- Good bedtime routine with the kids (read chapter books, sing songs, say prayers)
- Blog 3x weekly--map it out
HOME
- Organize the office- set up my stamping stuff (!!!)
- Get rid of all.the.things (esp. baby stuff)
- --Specifically the filing cabinet
- Buy sheets for Carly's bed/set up her bed
- Purge old makeup
- Learn to coupon
- Buy wool balls for the dryer
- Make new pantry shelves to utilize space more efficiently
- Burn candles/Scentsy as much as possible
- Clean house every Sunday
- Sort/Purge/Organize every closet & cupboard in the house
- Replace rose bushes out front
- Take out arborvitae bushes
- Spread rocks along the perimeter of the yard & beside the house
- Paint both bathrooms
- Put flower boxes inside closet door for mittens & hat storage
- Clean the stove top twice (every six months)
- Clean dishwasher
- Make our new desk location work for us-- reorganize drawers
- Read Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
BODY
- Hike with my dad & boys
- Kayak with my mom
- Workout 3x week average (156 days in 2017-2018)
- Walk the boys to school whenever possible
- Do 20 push ups everyday
SOUL
- Afternoon tea, oil or meditation to center myself before dinner (aka "witching hour")
- Gratitude journal at least once a week (make accountability sheet)
- Read bible weekly (make checklist)
- Meditate daily (keep track on the calendar daily)
- Journal nightly re: eating & parenting (answer specific questions)
- Listen to music daily in the shower
- Spread kindness- tell strangers kind things
- -Be helpful generally
- Write out inspirational quotes to hang around the house
- Try more essential oils
MIND
- Screen-free weekdays for kids
- Afternoon=sacred kid time (no distractions!)
- 1 weekday screen-free for me
- Media-free mornings for me= more reading books!
- Cell phone lives on kitchen counter, not in my pocket
- Watch 3 documentaries
- Delete old phone contacts
- Make password notebook
- Write out prayers to rid myself of anxiety
- Write out some body positivity mantras
MOTHERHOOD
- No yelling (keep track on calendar with stickers daily)
- Drive myself (+ kids) to Vancouver
- Monthly meal planning
- Try new meats: shrimp
- Try new meats: fish
- Make 3 Pinterest meals
- Haircuts- 6 weeks
- Print some recent photos
- Get a bike for me
- Get a bike for Josh
- Create a family photo book
- Celebrate Mother's Day for those around us
- Celebrate Father's Day for those around us
- Read 10 chapter books with the boys this year
- Color with my kids- put up an art show
CHILDREN
- Eat outside
- Kids memorization of addition facts
- Figure out memorabilia system for kids
- Chore system- keep it up, add more responsibility (meds/diapers)
- Library visit 1x month (Love this reasonable goal, Tab!)
- Monthly "crafternoon" (Brilliant Ashley!)
- Thank teachers & staff at the boys' school
- Continue "family grooming day" Sundays- cut nails, etc.
- Try brownies in a cup (thanks, Ashley!)
- Rotate consistently who sets the table & helps with dinner
HUSBAND
- Trade bedtime duty once a week
- Play Rummikub
- Trade backrubs
- Make his lunches
- Make weekly date night a priority
FRIENDSHIP
- Small group get together
- Keep track of birthdays/anniversaries & send cards according/make calendar
- Call someone (have a list to choose from) when I'm feeling down
- Send 3 surprise packages + Send 10 snail mail letters
- Get together with 3 friends' families in town
TRADITION
- Christmas cinnamon rolls
- Spooky tortillas at Halloween
- Candy corn cupcakes
- Elf on the shelf
- Make sugar cookie ornaments
BLOG
- A Week In The Life
- Introduce "Alaska Living" page
- Month-long blog writing challenge
- Share favorite books: kids + mine weekly
- Write one chapter of my book each month this year
- Finish my blog story (Part One + Part Two)
- Share how we do chores
- Share 2017 reading "bookshelf" from my journal
- Empty my dashboard of Drafts (all.of.them) by August 2018
- 100 Small Things quarterly updates
Love your list and how you broke it into sections! I always start out that way but my stream of thoughts always ends up taking me all over the place, haha!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a fun, productive year. xo
Can't wait to read the rest of your blog story! I enjoyed part 1 & 2 :)
ReplyDeletethis makes me so excited! I'm such a nerd about planning and goals, hahha. I love so many of them and really like your categories - traditions! such a good one to list out! I love your try new foods tasks - that might be fun to have one a month of our kids, we have one particular picky eater (ahem, Greyson), but maybe if it was kind of like a game, or a chart - he might be more willing to try. I love it! Thanks for the inspo (as always!)
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