Let’s make this the best year ever

I’ve known Tom for 11 years, and this is the first year he hasn’t mentioned making New Year’s Resolutions (or, more appropriately, New Year’s Goals). 

Tom and I haven’t talked about goals or why we are or aren’t going to set goals, but if I’m going to be completely honest, it’s hard to think about self-improvement these days. We’ve been parents for almost 17 months, but we don’t have the hang of it at all. We clean up our living room and wipe David’s nose for pictures so things look decent, but most days we’re overwhelmed by the combination of laundry, dishes, meals, shopping, maintaining friendships, church involvement, being a good employee, exercise, spending time with our son, spending time together, and also Downton Abbey Season 3 just started, so…you know…

Plus, I don’t think a life has to be organized and “under control” to be well-lived. In fact, I think that, for me, it’s the other way around. I’ll never be a “together” person; I leave my wallet on the counter at the grocery store and am ok with leaving the dishes for tomorrow. And you know what? I sort of like that about myself.

This year I have fewer goals, and I’m them with the aforementioned things in mind: 1) I (we) already have plenty on my plate 2) I don’t need to change who I am.

1) Brush my teeth before 1 p.m.
Please tell me I’m not the only mom who doesn’t brush her teeth or wash her face until nap time. Sometimes I’ve even gone to the park, the grocery store, or the pediatrician, but still haven’t had a chance to wash my face or brush my teeth…until nap time. Here’s the deal: David tries to play in the toilet, trash can, shower or unroll the toilet paper anytime I go into the bathroom, so I try to minimize my time in there. But 1 p.m.!? That’s just gross.

2) Exercise
Exercise isn’t a big change for me because I love to exercise. I love how it feels while I’m doing it and how it makes me feel overall. But since I’m not working toward any specific fitness goals right now (weight loss or training for a race) I always want to keep it on the list because it’s something I always want to prioritize.

3) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
It feels a little arbitrary to make lifestyle goals on January 1, but nutrition goals make complete sense. After nearly two months of gorging on huge portions of high-fat, high-sugar holiday food, we could all use a spinach salad, me included. Back to lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat for the next 10 months.

4) Get back on budget
Speaking of fruits and vegetables, I hate when strawberries are like $4 a pint. Tom and I like to keep a tight grocery budget. Usually I LOVE following the budget; I look at it as a competition with myself. But at the end of this year I got lazy and stopped meal planning or sticking to my list. But I’ll get back on the horse. I promise, Tom. (That is, if you promise to buy me a horse with all the money I save…)

5) Blog on!
I started this blog a year and a half ago I was hesitant to start, but when David was born my sister asked me to start one so she could see lots of photos of him. Before I became a mom I was a writer, and I love writing in this particular medium (no assignments, no deadlines, no editor…). We have some blog goals — mostly to keep things current. My personal goal is to post two times a week, gather up a few more followers, and we’re planning on giving the blog a facelift very, very soon.

6) Reduce clutter, and all that
This is different than becoming more organized (which would be a fruitless goal for me). This is more about buying less, getting rid of more, and being purposeful about what we have and bring into our home. We got rid of 21 bags last year. We still have more work to do.

7) Read my Bible daily
This was a goal last year, and it’s a goal again. David gets up early, naps about an hour and a half a day, and runs me ragged the rest of the time. Basically what I’m trying to say is: I have lots of excuses.

I think that’s all. Except that I’d also like to have hair like Kate Middleton. I’ll put that under “brush my teeth before 1 p.m.”

What are you goals? Let’s all resolve to be better, more sparkly people in 2013. People who eat vegetables and brush their teeth.

11 Comments

  1. Laura @ Mommyrunfast January 12, 2013

    Haha, I have had the same issue with face washing and teeth brushing! Those all look like reasonable goals. A blog face lift is exciting!

    Reply
  2. Meredith White January 12, 2013

    ALSO as for your blog goals – not sure if anyone else has had this problem, but I always have to refresh 2-3 times to get your blog to load. It always starts off with an error page. Just might want to check it out in case someone ever clicks and thinks it’s a dead link (because it’s not! no! it’s very much alive).

    Reply
  3. amandakrieger January 12, 2013

    yeah, other people have told me that. it’s a bummer. we’re working on migrating to a new host this weekend 🙂

    Reply
  4. Meredith White January 12, 2013

    First of all, your title reminds me of Cru. I feel like people would quite regularly declare dramatically, “let’s make this the best night/dance party/powderpuff game EVER!!!” Thanks for the memory 🙂 secondly, only 2 posts a week?? Never mind I can’t keep up with that many on my own blog, but I’m gonna need more from you, young lady. And I think everyone should be following you!!

    Reply
  5. amandakrieger January 12, 2013

    that’s actually a tanner griffith quote (i think his brother michael said it first, though…)
    and not ONLY two posts a week, but at LEAST two posts a week!

    Reply
  6. Meredith White January 12, 2013

    Totally makes sense now. I can distinctly hear Tanner AND Daniel saying it.

    Reply
  7. Katherine January 12, 2013

    I really like your last goal 🙂

    http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com

    Reply
  8. Lynsie McD January 12, 2013

    I am awful about us brushing our teeth when we don’t go anywhere! I have said that when we start homeschooling next year and can no longer count on taking Peyt to preschool every morning for terth brushing reminders we are going to have to come up with a huge reminder to brush our teeth or all of our teeth will fall out.

    Reply
  9. Jenny Richardson Ramsey January 12, 2013

    my goal is to get you to orlando for a visit…that pretty much covers it.

    Reply
  10. amandakrieger January 12, 2013

    🙂

    Reply
  11. […] “Reduce clutter, organize and make our house more liveable.” I reiterated the goal in 2013: Reduce clutter, and all […]

    Reply

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