January 2nd

Ah a new year... New hopes & dreams and challenges & joys.  There are so many exciting things going on in January and I want to be apart of ALL of them. Unfortunately for me that would mean total burnout so I narrowed it down to accept two challenges for January.  

What are they? hang tight I will get to that... first i need to share my 14 Goals for 2014. Sharing them with you - random stranger - actually does help me be more accountable.  So if you see me slacking, please call me out on it!  So here they are:

1.  Make a Quilt

2.  Start writing again! You love writing, make time for it. Minimum twice a month.

3.  Get healthy already! You are almost 40! No French Fries! Time to be 170lbs again. Track, Track, Track on Weight Watchers.

4.  Run 2 5k’s, Beginning of the year & end. See how much you’ve improved!

5.  Make a new DETAILED budget, get your hubby involved!

6.  Create Master Meal plan

7.  Pay off Medical expenses… You are almost there!

8.  Write Grandma 1 letter per month.

9.  Send more cards for no reason. 2 per month.

10.      Plant a Garden

11.      Hike 2 new trails in the Smoky Mountains

12.      Read a Classic novel

13.      Make a Genealogy book for Grandma

14.      Visit a new city.

 So, what do you think? Hubby said it seems aggressive, but doable. I agree.  I want to challenge myself, but make it attainable as well.  In reality I have a 40/50 hr a week career, two teenage daughters a husband that I adore and an amazing church group.  I am a busy woman. So what challenges am i beginning with? 

Challenge #1 www.acuff.me To start, I am apart of the Jon Acuff 30 day hustle... Day one, define what you are gonna hustle on in January. So i thought and I thunk and decided that the first thing I needed to do was dust off my financial peace training and get back on a solid budget... Being on a budget provides self esteem, security, and the freedom to dream and do. Day Two, why did we pick what we did? Well I kinda already explained that, but basically it can set the pace for the entire year. Since I plan on this year being spectacular, my financial world needs to reflect that as well.

Challenge #2 - www.Goinswriter.com Write 500 words a day for 31 days... Ooopps! I think I was supposed to start that yesterday.  What I like about this challenge is that I really love writing, and wanted to get back in the habit. The other part is we weren't challenged to write/edit/re-write and submit perfect essays.  No editing just write... about the recipe you made yesterday, the struggle you had with your teen, a funny story, whatever.... Free your thoughts and write something! This feels so liberating.  At work I write, and edit and re-write emails and letters and memos until every and, an & but are perfectly so. Here I can add my irrelevant prepositions at the ends of questions without being scrutinized. Example: Do you know where my coat is, at? haha, Sometimes you havbe no idea you do those weird thing until you move to a new region.  

Challanges I declined - Empty Shelf @ acuff.me - Empty a book shelf and fill it up throughout the year.  Made to Crave bible study on Proverbs31.com and I think I had a few more in my email from Weight Watchers, biblegateway and flylady.com

Challenge yourself!