Resolutions

My resolutions this year might seem a little odd. But with my transitioning from working full-time to working part-time at home and being a full-time mom, I need to set some goals to help in that transition. So here goes...

1. Learn how to be a good mother & enjoy and embrace motherhood. If I am going to give up the job I loved and worked so hard to get, I want it to be worth it. I want Emily to have a good mom and I want to better understand the beautiful role of motherhood. I do enjoy being a mom, but I know I could enjoy it a lot more. I realized this morning that I think part of the reason why I struggle with being a mom sometimes is because it's so unpredictable. I am a planner and I've always been able to do anything I wanted to because I could plan a way to accomplish it. But I need to learn how to go with the flow better and not get frustrated when my plan doesn't work out.

2. Get back in shape. I want to be able to do races again. I signed up for the Goldilocks Womens Bike Race on May 7. I'm aiming for the 60-mile distance. I also think I would like to do the Little Red Riding Hood Bike Race in June and maybe part of the Lotoja this year as well. I did get some cycling shoes for Christmas and I am excited to use them. I also want to be able to run at least a 10K again.

3. Enhance my friendships. I need friends. Ever since we moved to Springville I have not been very good at making or keeping friends. Most of my friends live in the Salt Lake area, and I haven't been very good at keeping in touch with them. I also haven't been very good at trying to make friends here. So my goal is to do something with a friend at least once a week. Even if that means talking to them on the phone. But it has to either be in person or on the phone. Email and Facebook doesn't count.

4. Stay mentally/intellectually challenged. I've got my writing job, and I want to improve in that. I also want to write for more than just the websites that I'm writing for, and get in with some different magazines that I haven't written for before. I would really like to teach at the college level. Just one night a week. I would love to teach a magazine writing class. I'm going to aim for next Fall semester to do that. I also would like to enhance my design skills. I got the Adobe Creative Suite for Christmas, and I want to learn how to use it better.


5. Don't become lazy, frumpy, or a recluse. I know this one sounds odd, but this is going to be a big transition for me. Up until now, staying home always meant it was a Saturday, I was sick or on vacation, which meant I could be lazy and not do my hair and stuff. When I was working full-time, I needed those days to not have to worry about those things. But now, I need to train myself to think that staying home does not equal being lazy anymore. I still need to get up early, do my morning routine, get ready for the day, and be productive even if I'm not going to be going anywhere. I'm still allowed one day a week to be lazy and not have to do my hair, but it just can't be every day. Plus, since I won't have a ton of social interaction with my work-from-home job, I don't want to become a recluse.

We also have a few family goals...

1. Attend the temple once a month.
2. Earn enough money between the two of us so we won't have to dip into our savings. (If we can do that, we will be able to buy a house when Matt graduates!)
3. Being positive and focusing on what we have instead of what we don't.