Of Regrets and Resolutions

Resolutions are a strange thing.  The new year feels full of promise and hope, but for me it seems like most things are left undone, hanging, incomplete.  

I realize it is a process, but most of the time my resolutions are way too grand in scale for me to accomplish, like the losing 10 pounds in 6 weeks of 2012 failure.  

Or a procrastination so long that I didn't even set any goals.  There's one way to not fail; just don't try at all!  Win-win, right?  

And I titled 2010's post "A goal without a daily plan of action is just a wish."  A great thought, and my goals were mighty small that year, so could be an accomplishment.  We were really struggling with some decisions and issues, and I'm pretty sure that I didn't want to be too specific.  Way too scary for me.

2009 saw me working on the same goals as 2008.  What's the definition of insanity?  Oh, yeah, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  It's the story of my life.  I go back 4 years and I'm seeing a definite pattern of un-greatness and lack of motivation.  Especially this quote from that post:  I rarely tell others my dreams, goals, and wishes. Then I feel the pressure to be accountable for working towards or achieving those things. Who wants to be accountable? Not I!

And finally, back to 2008, I was really ambitious and broke down my goals by category.  Ack!  I do like the last quote, though, "I will appreciate what little progress I make despite my shortcomings."
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One of my favorite talks from this past conference was President Uchtdorf's talk "Of Regrets and Resolutions".  A few of my favorite quotes:

No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.

One day we will take that unavoidable step and cross from this mortal sphere into the next estate. One day we will look back at our lives and wonder if we could have been better, made better decisions, or used our time more wisely.

To avoid some of the deepest regrets of life, it would be wise to make some resolutions today. Therefore, let us: 

• • Resolve to spend more time with those we love.

• • Resolve to strive more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be.

• • Resolve to find happiness, regardless of our circumstances.

I think those last three resolutions are perfect to focus on.  I will continue working on other goals, including finding a job, building food storage, being a better mom, and everything else I'm continuously working on! 

And when you ask how my resolutions are going, please excuse the snort of laughter!

Learning and Growing (or should I say, Shrinking)...

It's been a couple of weeks since I've spent any amount of time on the computer that didn't include finding a recipe or typing something up quickly for a project, but here I am now.  I'm not sure that I was missed, but I miss being on here in the peace and quiet after everyone is in bed and I can focus my brain for a few minutes.

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and an awesome New Year's celebration.  I know we had both; spending time with family and friends re-energizes me.  

Since it is Monday we had Family Home Evening tonight.  The lesson was on goal-making.  I've been pretty lax with it these last few years; it seems that life is getting in the way of me reaching my goals.  (I've go to put the blame on something!)  So we talked about personal goals and family goals, and I wanted each of us to write down at least three goals to work on.  This week we'll all be working on putting a plan together to help us focus on and work toward our goals.  We also talked about being accountable to each other and supporting one another.  I hope a little bit sank in!

I'm excited to work on my goals and resolutions, and I'm determined not to let myself get scared off or overwhelmed by them.  One thing that helped put things in perspective was an article in the January Ensign magazine by Elder D. Todd Christofferson called Recognizing God's Hand in our Daily Blessings.

Here are just a couple lines that I'm taking to heart:

“As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day."
President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982), First Counselor in the First Presidency

 

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently taught that consistency in simple daily practices such as family prayer, scripture study, and home evening is crucial in building successful families. “Our consistency in doing seemingly small things,” he said, “can lead to significant spiritual results.”

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994), speaking of repentance, gave this counsel: “We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more [Christlike], that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible.”

So here's to change!  One of the first goals I am working on is to improve my health, my weight, and my eating.  I've been steadily putting on weight this last year and a half, and I'm ready to fit into (and look good in!) my clothes again, and to be able to wear my wedding ring, too.  I'm joining the 6 Week Frugal Weight Loss Challenge at Stockpilingmoms.com.

My goal is to lose at least 10 pounds in that six weeks' time.  I'm giving up my lovely Diet Cokes, having a water-drinking goal, eating smaller portions, and walking at least 30 minutes/day 5 days/week.  And if I keep telling myself that I can do it just for that day, I think it will make all the difference in the world.