How Firm is Your Resolve?

I noticed recently that resolution spelled backward is NO-IT-U-LOSER. It seems to me a hidden message to say, 'You know you aren't going to keep any of these goals. Why even try?' And I admit that even last year I gave up on Resolutions and Intentions of all kinds.

But I can't help that feeling at the beginning of the year to push myself a little farther and find something to improve about myself. I have some of that feeling all year, but nothing sparks it like January 1. So although I resolved to not make any more resolutions, I went ahead and made some anyway. (Ha. Is that ironic that I failed on that resolution?)

Nothing big to be sure. June is also joining me in making a few goals, but it wasn't a family wide plan like we have done in the past. We hope to reward ourselves as well, but that depends on if we follow through.

Here is my simple list for 2017.

Read Scriptures - This one is pretty self explanatory. My goal is to read the Old Testament this year. I'm not sure I have ever finished the entire thing. So this is my year.

Drink Water - One would think that you would not need to make a goal to drink water, but I stink at it. I forgot to drink in general. I don't substitute soda or juice for water. (Water really is my favorite thing to drink.) Instead I go most of the day without liquid. I usually drink during meals, but I would like to hydrate my body better. So, at least one full water bottle and two large glasses a day. That is close to a Liter and a half. That doesn't quite hit the 8 glasses a day or the 2.7 liters they recommend for women. But it is a heck of a lot more water than I normally drink, and that doesn't include liquid I will get from food as well.

Allowance - I have a hard time remembering to get the kids their allowance. I'm going to be better this year, which I'm sure the kids are thrilled about. Especially since I have a rule that if a month passes and I forget, that month is just skipped. There is no retroactive allowance around here.

Green Smoothies - I have wanted to learn to make healthy smoothies for a while. I just need to dive in. This is my year to figure that out. We hope to have smoothies twice a week for breakfast. June is joining me on this one, and Ivory might as well.

Magnify Calling - In my ward, I currently serve as a counselor in the primary. I really enjoy being in there and I try hard and succeed at most of what I do. However, I am not great about checking in with my classes and seeing how they are doing or helping them be better teachers. So this year I want to focus on that, and check in monthly with the teachers I work with.

Simple right? A couple daily goals, a few monthly ones. I got this.

You may notice that I didn't make any photography goals. I didn't complete the challenge last year. I just ran out of steam. However I clearly picked up the camera plenty, because when I went to print my blog book, there were too many pictures to be included. The program I use allows 1150 pictures per book. Apparently, I was trying to put in 1155. So, I wasn't able to include two posts at the end of the year. Also ironic that I worked so hard to get those posts done in December, and they will still be included in the January posts of the blog book. Ha. Point for you 2016. But who's laughing now?

I do have a small photography goal and that is simply to take more pictures landscape instead of portrait. I tend to like portrait more, but it takes up more space in the blog book and Tyler can't use them for our annual calendar. So I need to remember to turn the phone sideways and to NOT turn the camera. We'll see how it goes.

Other than that, Happy New Year everyone!