See The Good + 2020 Goals

 For the last few years I have chosen a "word of the year"

and this year I wanted to do the same.

When I sat down to think about what I wanted to focus on in my life, 

especially in parenthood & for overall my mental health,

"See The Good" came to me.  

So my main goal this year is to see the good in everything around me.

When things go wrong, or the kids get sick, I want to find the silver lining.

To bring this goal into fruition daily, I grabbed a tiny lined notebook I had lying around and every night I try to write down as many good things as I can that I noticed that day.  It's been super simple, and very impactful because as I go through my day I find myself searching for what things I will be writing down that evening in my little "See The Good" journal. 

In addition to "See The Good", I have some other goals as well:

• Journal more often
• I'm thinking once a week as my specific goal, kind of as a way to replace counseling which I stopped over summer. 
• Save $100/month for Christmas
• This is a "dream big" goal!
• If I do this, I know it will help us keep Christmas "cash only", which we managed this year, but was way more tight than we wanted it to be.
• I hope to achieve this by selling random items I come across as I organize the house in the new year. 
• Walk
• I know I need to workout to help reduce my stress level and improve my sleep.
• Walking happens to be my preferred method of exercise.
• So far, I have not made this happen (thanks to being sick myself & having sick kids) but hopefully I can start in February.
• Read 100 books
• Last year I made it to 89 and was this.close!
• This year I am planning to read at least 8 books a month, more some months.
• I hope to be reading at least 3 books at a time: one non-fiction, one fiction & one audio.
• I'll be posting more about my related "Unread Shelf Project" goals soon!
• "Center Down"
• This is a phrase Anne Morrow Lindbergh, mother of six, used in this quote that struck me some months ago: “Woman's life today is tending more and more toward the state William James describes so well in the German word, 'Zerrissenheit: torn-to-pieces-hood.' She cannot live perpetually in 'Zerrissenheit.' She will be shattered into a thousand pieces. On the contrary, she must consciously encourage those pursuits which oppose the centrifugal forces of today…. Solitude, says the moon shell. Center-down, say the Quaker saints." This idea of surviving the insanity of all the chaos around me by "centering down", finding peace within, and being the "eye of the storm" has been very useful as my home has grown more busy with each passing year. 
• I like this quote from Michael Singer's Untethered Soul as well: "The truth is, everything will be okay as soon as you are okay with everything."  
• I am going to try and make sure that throughout each day I am taking time to breathe and center myself because I know that much of our family's happiness revolves around my ability to keep my cool. (So much pressure!)

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What are your goals for 2020? Do you have a word for the year?

I'd love to hear all about it!