AES Goals for 2011

[Insert here the schpeal about how I am not really big on “resolutions” but thing that its important to have goals] 

[Do Not Insert here the schpeal about how goals need to be SMART goals… these are not specific, nor are they measurable, and I don’t care They are just my goals, and putting them on the blog makes me accountable. ]

Off we go!

Gospels:  My bible reading goal is to spend the year reading and studying the gospels.  One every quarter; this quarter is Matthew.  My hope to understand the heart of God more, learn what kind of human He was when He was walking on this earth, and to try to comprehend how big His love is for me.  The Gospels tell the story of Jesus, and the “whole Jesus thing” is pretty much a big expression of His love for me as well as central to my faith. So, I figured a good place to spend 2011.

Slow Down: I all too often feel frantic and jumbled in my head.  This causes a trickle down effect on all aspects of my life.  I want to work on slowing down in moments.  I don’t have to have every moment of E’s naps filed with tasks.  Sometimes it is a-okay to leave the dishes for later and settle in with a good book (maybe the Gospels? Winky wink).

Learn to give myself a good manicure:  Liking my outfit, having good hair and having my fingernails painted are three things that make me feel better about myself. No, they are not the ONLY things… but they are pretty simple things.  Nothing will ever compare to the salon, but it might save a bit of money as well as help me to slow down (see goal above) and just wait for the paint to dry. 

Encourage others with ways they can save money:  As many of you know, I like to save a buck. I am not cheap per se, but if I can get something of equal quality for less, well then I should.  Over the past few years, I have stumbled upon a number of money saving tips, tools and tricks. It brings me lots of joy to spend time helping other people figure out how to save money for their family too.  So, I want to be intentional about sharing all my money saving ideas.  You might see more of this goal end up on the blog, as it is a great way for me to log some of the things I do, and then I forward on the link later.  Stay tuned!

Continue to expand my cooking skills and creativity:  A few years back, I made a goal to purchase more ingredients (fruit, vegetables, flour, eggs etc) at the grocery store rather than prepared food (frozen pizzas, prepared frozen meals etc).  That and the fact that Jeff, Em and I are home A LOT more in this season of life, has all lead to me cooking more.  It has been a fun journey for me, and I want to continue on in the path.

So, there you go, my goals for 2011.