Tom has started riding his bike to work a few times a week. It’s all part of our overall goal to live frugally and stay healthy. Plus, it means less wear and tear on the car and it’s good for the environment.

His goal is to cycle to work 2-3 times a week. The weather has made it pretty easy so far; we’ve only had a few really winter-like days.

I have no doubt Tom will stick to his goal, because my husband takes goal-setting VERY seriously. He set a goal to be dating his wife by the end of 2007. Our first date was December 30, 2007. BAM – goal achieved.

In the Krieger household we don’t make resolutions, we set goals. I’m not a goal-setter or plan-follower, so when I suggested that we have a date to set 2012 goals, Tom’s heart exploded.

This is what SERIOUS goal-setting looks like.

First: we must review the previous year.

Tom started out with a PowerPoint presentation of our 2011 finances. Tom showed me detailed slides for net worth and balance sheets and percentages while I asked questions like “what’s the difference between net and gross” and “I’m confused, where’s the savings account for my horse?”

Second: we create goal categories.

I do not do this. Tom has categories for his goals as a husband, father, employee, etc.

Third: we review goal-making strategies.

Goals must be S.M.A.R.T. , or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. So you can’t say, “I want to lose weight” you have to say, “I want to lose 5 pounds in 6 months.” Or, “I want to ride my bike to work 2-3 times a week all year.”

Here are my 2012 resolutions, or goals as we call them in the Krieger house.

1. Finish my book editing job by April
   I started editing a book in September 2010. When I started the project I agreed I’d finish by April 2011. Then I got pregnant and had a baby and it’s 2012. I’m in the home stretch, but really need to focus and finish by April or before.
2. Get back to my pre-pregnancy weight
   Not much to go, and breastfeeding is burning through some serious calories, but what’s a New Year’s without a resolution to lose a few pounds?
3.  Answer all e-mails within two weeks
   I’m an awesome e-mail consumer. I’m really good at reading messages almost instantly. But I have personal e-mails in my inbox from mid-December. Two weeks is more than enough time to respond to an e-mail, Amanda. I could also add “answer my phone more and return calls faster” but if you know me you know that would not be The “R” in S.M.A.R.T.
4. Give up Diet Coke
   SUCCESS! I already did this one, some early achievement on my goal list should keep me motivated, right?
5. Read 26 books
   52 books a year is awesome, but I need more balance in my reading. I’d love to read 26 books, but not much more than that. By 2013 I’ll have a 16-month old. Maybe then I’ll try the 52 again, because when he’s that old I can just lie on the couch and eat bon bons while he reads to me.
6. Keep up with daily Bible reading
   Right, balance. When I’m not frantically reading a book a week I can be more focused on spending daily time in the Word.
7. Go to the gym two times a week
   Tom asked me to add this to my list. He specified that it’s not because he thinks I need to work out, but because we have a gym membership we’re not using (meaning we’re WASTING MONEY). He said he’d watch David while I work out. Um, ok. Count me in.
8. Pray for David every single day
   I read once that one reason people struggle to pray is that they don’t really believe in prayer. Because if they REALLY believed in it, they would do it. Praying for and with my son is a privilege and we don’t do it nearly enough. Why? Because we’re tired, or lazy or (maybe even) because we don’t believe it’s effective. Just one more reason I’m so glad my son’s salvation (or my own) doesn’t depend on my works or faith, but on Christ alone. Praying with David is something I want to start early, which means now.

I also have a couple of plans. These fly in the face of goal-setting rules, so I’ll call them plans instead of goals.

1. Grow my hair out
   Every few years I cut my hair short, donate it to Locks of Love, and then I grow it out again. I’m ready for the grow-out phase.
2. Understand my camera better
   We have a NikonD90, and it’s mostly useless to me. I’m a horrible photographer. I’ve always known it, but it just now started to bother me since I have a baby to document. The sad thing is that I’ve taken photography classes (as part of my journalism curriculum in high school and college — nothing too technical but enough that I have NO excuse for being afraid to change the aperture).
3. Reduce clutter, organize and make our house more liveable
   We moved into our current house in May. The layout is really different from our first home, so we had to get rid of a lot of things and re-organize. I feel like we’re still in that process, especially with the addition of a baby (and baby stuff). We hope to stay in this house for a long time, and in order to do that we need to be smart about what we bring into our house. Neither Tom nor I buy a lot, but we do hang on to things long after we need them (especially me). I like this girl’s goal to end each year with less than she started with (I still have clothes from high school. This should not be hard.) Plus, we’re messy. Since I’m at home now, I hope I can focus a little more on our house. Or at least dust twice a year. That’d be an improvement, too.
4. RUN!
   I want to stay consistent with running, run the Monument Ave. 10K and MAYBE the Richmond Half-Marathon in the fall. I haven’t gotten this running with a baby thing totally figured out, so it’s a plan rather than a goal. If it doesn’t happen, that’s ok.

So that’s it. And it’ll be 2013 before we know it. Does anyone else make resolutions…or goals this year? Are they S.M.A.R.T.? It’s ok if they’re not. You know what they say about New Year’s Resolutions anyway.

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