three goals for a new year

Yesterday my adoptive-mommy-blogging-friend, Julie posted about her New Years resolutions. And I loved her J.O.Y. theme that they have set as a family for the year. Jesus, Others, Yourself...Isn't that so cool?! Well as I was going to make a post about my new year goals (I don't really like the word "resolutions") and was thinking about my specific goals that I have already set and have been working on, I realized it fit into Julie's J.O.Y. theme.

I love a new start, but I really dislike setting goals and failing. But there are a few areas in my life that I have been really wanting to work on already and I thought that the New Year would be a good place to start. I have kept them very simple and feel like if I improve in these areas that it will automatically improve other areas of  my life that I have not set goals for.

 I have also decided that I am not going to jump straight into doing everything perfect everyday, but that I would just do what I could everyday and what I remembered to do, and just do a little better everyday with out worrying about missing a day. I am much better at achieving goals when I work into them gradually.

The first goal I had set (which fits with the "J") was to gain more spiritual strength in my everyday life. I wanted it to be more than just reading my scriptures everyday. So I am also trying to be more consistent with my morning prayers and I also want to read a conference talk or an article in any of the church magazines everyday if possible, but will settle for a couple times a week.

My second goal (which goes with the "O") is to be better at consciously serving others. I feel like I give of myself when the opportunity rises but over this last year I have felt strongly that I need to be a better example to my kids when it comes to service. I have wanted to devote one day a week to doing service for others with the help of my kids and had tried to implement that last year, but  then I get caught up in my week and would forget. So I am thinking I need to keep putting some thought into how exactly to go about this so it won't be overwhelming. I have also decided that for my birthday this year that I will be spending the day doing random acts of kindness.  I am so excited to do that!!

My third and last goal (which goes with the "Y") is to be better about exercising. Age 33 was the "magic" year for my body to decide it wasn't going to stay the same as it always has anymore, without me doing something physical. So I have been doing an exercise video about every other day or so. I have been getting up at 6am to get my exercise in and then a shower, if I don't do that then I do it when the kids are down for nap/quiet time. My hope is that I can get myself into a bit of shape so that I can start running when it gets lighter out in the mornings. I have a desire to be a runner and maybe run a race, but I don't feel like I can adequately fit it into my life right now for a few different reasons. But I feel like it will be more feasible more towards the middle of the year. 

Nothing too jaw dropping, but I do feel that these are attainable goals and will help me the most to live a happy life this year.