him & her XIX: new year

H E R:

Each new year usually brings with it huge, life-altering resolutions, but sometimes, it's the smallest changes that can make the biggest differences. Little changes go a long way. Learning how to get more sleep, keep your home cleaner, or even make your phone battery last longer are ways that can help you feel less stressed and more organized. So you can worry less and have more free time to work on your larger goal, whatever it may be. 

Classic examples of these resolutions are: “I want to hit the gym every single day,” “I want to buy a house” (when you literally have $5 in your savings account), or “I'm going to go on one date a week.” These types of goals are almost impossible to actually achieve. Start small and continue to grow your goals every day.

I have always been a fan of the New Year. For me it just feels like a chance to start over (that sounds really cheesy). It has always been an opportunity to look back at my past year and see what I can improve on. 

Here are my 2016 Goals:

SPIRITUAL:

1. Read my scriptures and pray every night. This is hard to do at times, because I'm exhausted by 9:45 pm.

2. Attend the temple at least twice a month.

RELATIONAL:

1. Go out of my way to serve others.

2. Send my family cards on their birthdays. I know this sounds random, but I really want to achieve this goal this year. Combined, Curtis and I have a lot of family so wish me luck!

PHYSICAL:

1. Continue to go the gym 4x a week and eat cleanly. (Especially after what the holidays did to me)

2. Do not consume any soda for all of 2016. This is by far the hardest goal that I set.

PERSONAL:

1. Care less about what others think and try not to let other's actions affect me.

2. Write every day. I see so many blessings throughout my day that need to be recorded to look back on. I want to continue to write in my journal everyday and update this blog a couple times a month.

H I M:

New Year's comes every year and so do all the resolutions. In recent years, I have put a lot more though into what I want to do every year to improve and typically I do a pretty good job for 2 to 3 months. Whether it is trying to get in shape or be a better person, we have all heard those ideas before.

This year will be our first full year of marriage, so it was a little more fun to set goals with someone you love and help each other work through them and keep them. We are trying to look at our resolutions as not just something to do because we have a fresh start, but as a way to change our life for the better forever. Having Hannah to help me along the way has been great so far and we are really excited to improve our lives. Below are some of my personal goals for 2016 and the rest of my life.

SPIRITUAL:

1. Attend the temple every other week with Hannah.

2. Daily scripture study and prayer

RELATIONAL:

1. Talk with my parents and siblings more. Since being married, working and busy I have not been good at that. 

2. Find new ways to serve Hannah in little and big ways.

3. Find good in everyone and cling to that.

PHYSICAL:

1. Continue to eat healthy. 

2. Exercise at least 4 days a week.

PERSONAL:

1. Read more books. I want to read 5 books this year.

2. Continue to keep our budget and find ways to save money for the future and emergencies.