Resolutions, Goals, Commitments?

I can't believe it is already the middle of January? Where did all that time go? I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Years. I think New Years shouldn't start on January 1st. I think it should start sometime mid-January...like now. I set these resolutions and get on pinterest and plan all these fun things I'm going to do every day of 2013 (that's still weird to me), but then life gets so busy with Christmas and family things and the celebrating of the year change that I forget all about those goals until things settle down a bit. The problem is that by then I've already broken the goal to do certain things every day of the year, because my brain didn't come out of the holiday coma until 2-3 weeks into the year. Now you know why I believe the "new year" shouldn't really start counting until about mid-January....at least in my world.

So, now that I've woken from my holiday coma I want to talk about my goals for the year. The things I hope to accomplish and areas of my life I desire to improve on. As I write my list I hope you think of your list, and if you're like me and life is just barely coming together after the holidays your "new year" can start now as well!

1. My Stake Presidency gave us a few challenges for the new year. One is something that is simply called the 1, 10, 15 Plan. They would like us to perform 1 act of Christian service a day. It doesn't matter how small or big just doing something Christlike for another person. My stake has always been one that had sacrament meeting last, which I know isn't very common in the church anymore but that's the way it's been, at the beginning of the year they switched it so that we have sacrament meeting first. I guess we were finally righteous enough to join in the traditions of the bulk of the church! Because of this change and wanting to maintain reverence in sacrament meeting they have asked us to always leave 10 minutes early for church. I am working on this one, but so far am not doing so well in this goal. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Finally they have challenged us all to read our scriptures at least 15 minutes each day. Thus, the 1, 10, 15 Plan. These are three challenges that I am hoping to be able to accomplish each day/week. I know that as I follow through with these goals I will draw closer to the Spirit.

2. The other major thing the Stake President challenged us to do was to read the entire Book of Mormon by July 1st. I am also hoping to accomplish this. However, I don't really enjoy just reading the Book of Mormon. I like to study it. Study always takes a bit longer than reading, but if I don't finish by the deadline I'm sure the Lord will understand. I have decided to study the doctrines and principles of the Book of Mormon. I am marking each in a different color as well as writing down all the ones I find in my study notebook. So, far this has been a really fun journey. I am excited about the things I am learning and doctrines and principles I've read a million times that I never realized were there. It is helping me to see the Book of Mormon in a completely different light and strengthening my testimony that there is no way Joseph Smith could have just "written" this book. It is a divine gift from my Heavenly Father filled with things to bless my life.

3. I am going to keep a gratitude journal. I know the point is to start on January first and write down 365 things you are thankful for, but I'm sure I'll have days there I will write more than one thing so It'll make up for the first 19 days I've missed. To me the point of a gratitude journal is to help me focus more on all the wonderfully positive things in my life. The amazing blessings I receive each and every day. I'm so looking forward to this!!

4. My last goal is to continue the goals I've already been living in my life. I want to continue to eat healthier, and drink more water. I want to continue building my self-confidence and living up to the potential that is within me.

I hope you have goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. I hope you have goals that are simple enough you can follow through with them and once you've reached those goals set them a little bit higher so that you are always striving to be a little bit better. Life is not about being dormant, life is about becoming all we were meant to become. I pray you will find at least one goal that can do that for you and commit to it with all you have. Stick to a task until it sticks to you!