The nice thing about a new year is that it feels “fresh.”  Really, we can “start over” at any time, but it just feels easier at the beginning of a new year.  I don’t generally make “resolutions” (which tend to be kind of vague and abstract and which, therefore, most people fail at), but, rather, to set goals.

I didn’t do so well on this past year’s goals.  It’s been kind of an awkward year for that.  The things that I needed to keep focused on this year were, for the most part, things I don’t have primary control over.  But they were still important for me to stay focused on, so I put them on the list anyway.

We made some progress.  For instance, we still haven’t finished remodeling the kitchen, so I can’t “set it up,” which leaves that still on the list.  But we did replace the lower cabinets, replace the countertop, replace the kitchen sink (well, not the actual sink bowl itself, but the faucet and all that), move the stove, etc.  (Michael says that the kitchen is done “from the waist down.” 😉 )  I didn’t make as much progress as I would have hoped on my 101/1001 list, either, for many of the same reasons.  But having the goals has helped me to make some progress, and hopefully this coming year I can do better.

Before I share my goals for 2010, let me pass on a blog post written by my friend Julie.  Julie wrote about what is one of the most important goals we set, or one of the most important parts of our routines — our Bible reading.  She shared a variety of Bible reading plans, and there’s some good stuff there, so take a look!  I like the 52-week plan, and I think Professor Horner made some very significant points in the explanation of his plan, so I think I will employ some combination of the two.

So, how about my goals from the past year?  I did:

…make progress on 15 items from the 101 Things in 1001 Days list.  (I also completed 12, which is good, but not nearly the 30+ I had aimed for.)
…set up the master bedroom.
…set up the bathroom.
…made an apron from the “apron plan” in the 101/1001 list.
…created a new morning routine.  (But I have to do this again every year.)
…created a new daily schedule, incorporating the new morning routine.  (Same here.)
…tried a new vegetable (turnips).
…met all of the “immediate” neighbors in the new neighborhood.
…worked on teaching Ariel to sew.

That’s what I completed.  There were eighteen other items on the list (including the completion of 30+ items from the 101/1001 list) that I was not able to check off. 🙁

So most of them (many of which are house-related) make the list again this year.

Goals for 2010

-Complete 30+ items from the 101/1001 list.
-Be sure this includes 3+ from the “Bless My Household” category.
-Be sure this includes 3+ from the “Live Life to the Full” category.
-Make progress on 15+ more.
-Set up the kitchen.
-Set up the dining room.
-Set up the girls’ bedroom.
-Set up the playroom.
-Set up the laundry room.
-Set up the library/office/craft room.
-Decorate 2 rooms.
-Plant a garden.
-Finish writing/formatting Advent ebook.
-Make micro-miniskirt (not for public attire!).
-Find a ministry that I can do from home and/or that the girls and I can do together.
-Buy Ray’s Arithmetic CD-ROM, and Classical Conversations year 1 CD’s.