14 in 2014

Wow!! I can't believe today is a NEW YEAR!!

2014...I remember partying like it's 1999...

this year will have lots of things to celebrate for our family and I can't wait!

I don't want to wish the days away, I want to live them and take them in...

I don't want to miss a thing!  

Every year on this day I think of all the great things I want to accomplish...

not just in this year but in life.  I think we must take on manageable bites otherwise we choke.  

So I have developed a list of 14 things I want to accomplish in 2014,

some personal, some spiritual but they affect each area of life.  

1. Pray about everything!  

I really mean literally everything.  God calls us to pray and seek his guidance not just on the big things in life but everything.  In 2014,  I want to seek him more than I have before.  I want to go to him and ask for his guidance in all areas of my life.  

2. Study Scripture Daily.

I have been studying God's word regularly for a few years but I have never cracked open the Bible daily.  I feel that God is calling me to commit to him and studying his words so I can learn more about Him and about who he has called me to be.

3.  Tithe 1st, not last.

This probably fits in with some other things I have on my list but I think it needs to stand alone.  I like to budget on paper down to the last red cent I have (probably some kind of control issue) but I realized when I looked at my spreadsheet tithes were at the end not at the beginning.  I must refocus and re-prioritize because he provides us with all that we need and all that we have! 

4. Memorize 12 verses of Scripture

Last year I attempted to memorize 24 and for me that is just too many.  I need to let things sink in and ferment.  So I am going to pick a scripture a month to memorize and apply daily to my life.  

5. Organize my life.

I need to get things in line.  Complete my Home Management Binder, update my billing system, put a filing system in order at home and at my office.  Not to mention labeling!

6. Declutter Our House

This one has been a goal for years and this year I have decided to tackle it a new way.  It's a 12 step kind of program.  I have broken down our house into manageable areas and given myself a month to complete each one, that way I have longer to work on it plus it gives me time to redecorate if I would like.  Really it's sad because our whole house should be manageable (we only have 4 rooms + a bathroom) but any ways..Here's the plan

January- Bathroom

February- Hall Closet (the one with shelves)

March- Living Room

April- Laundry Room/Back Porch (they are one in the same ;)

May- Coat Closet

June- Boys Bedroom

July- Boys Clothes closet

August- Kitchen

September- Boys Toy Closet

October- Our Bedroom (this is the most dreaded one)

November- Our Closet

December- Garage 

7. Set a daily schedule and stick to it!! 

 In the last month my commitment to my daily schedule has gone out the window.  I mean really I don't get up at the same time each day, we don't eat dinner at the same time, and we just kind of fly by the seat of our pants...which makes us all a little scattered.  So with the new year comes a set schedule that our family will have. 

8. Pay off Debt!!!

As much of it as possible!  The goal is to by the end of the year to only have the basic monthly bills plus my student loans to pay.  

9. Put at least $1000 in our savings account for a rainy day fund

I realize that the suggestion is 3-6 months of your salary but this would be a huge accomplishment for us.  

10.  Put at least $200 extra into each of the boy's savings account.

Currently most of the money in the boy's accounts is from gifts they have received from family and friends.  I want to make a concentrated effort to increase their savings amounts.    Plus we plan to let Wyatt show some market animals this year and our goal is for him to place all the money he makes into his savings account.  I did quick math the other day and figured up if he sold 1 market hog, 1 market lamb, and 1 steer each year for the next 13 years he would add at least $15,000 to his savings account and that is very low estimates.  We have to teach the boys financial responsibility now or they will struggle learning it later in life.

11.  Do a family outing once a month.  

Meaning together all 4 of us do something fun.  I'm not going to say non-farm related but ideally it would be going camping, movie night, etc.  We need to make more of an effort as an entire family to enjoy our time together.  As a farm family sometimes that's going to mean checking cows together or going to a sale but those memories are just as important if not more than the ones that happen when you spend money.

12.  Exercise 3 times a week and include the boys as often as possible.  

I need to be more active for myself.  I need to get healthier and one way is just to move more.  Because I don't get to stay at home all day with the boys I have used that as an excuse not to exercise as often as I should.  I want to motivate them to get outside and move more.  So I want to exercise with them.  Whether it's walking Flat Rock or playing Wii Fit we are going to try and do it together so that we all can benefit.

13.  Go on a date night just William & I once a month

Since adding baby boy #2 I realized that William & I don't ever really spend any time together just the 2 of us.  I think it's important for us to nurture our relationship and let our boys see that we are important to each other.  We have fallen into the trap of putting our boys before our marriage and we need to stop.  So this year I want to schedule more us time.  

14.  Post 60 blog post, plus keep our social media sites updated.

That's 5 blog post a month... 1.25/week I always have these great ideas to blog more and usually start out strong but fall by the way side.  This year I want to do better.  But that goal must be manageable and not take away from other areas in our life.  I also want to be sure we are sharing more photos on our social media sites so that folks can get a better glimpse of our farm life.  

So there you have it my 14 goals for 2014.  Let's see how these work out over the next 12 months!  What are your goals for 2014??

Caci