Happy New Year, everyone! Or more appropriately, thank goodness that 2020 is behind us!
I know, there’s so much that we can’t control right now that it seems almost foolishly optimistic to set goals for the year ahead of us, but this is a lifelong habit of mine, so why derail it now?
Some of you are in the habit of choosing a word for the year; I tried that but honestly couldn’t narrow it down to just one. I tried to choose a Bible verse for the year, too, and came up with about a dozen! Here’s my favorite, though:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
On the off chance that other people’s new year’s resolutions interest you and you’re still reading, I divided my goals into three general areas just to keep them better organized–body, mind, and soul.
Body
Food–We always eat pretty healthily, but of course January is a great time to reset our diets since the holidays are full of indulgence (I joke that I end the year full of cheese and unsure what day it is!). In years past we’ve done a month-long Whole30 challenge and it’s a great way to recalibrate our diets. This year we’re not going to take it quite as far but will probably cut out refined sugar and processed foods. Amy and I will definitely share healthy recipes when we find them, too.
Water–I stick to water during the day, but definitely need to up my intake, so that’s on my list, too (here’s the water bottle with measurements that I ordered). I’ve also added a Vitamin D supplement since Germany is dark and cloudy in the winter.
Exercise–One thing I’m doing much better on over here is getting exercise, since we walk so much more and there are huge hills everywhere. Harley and I get our daily exercise together with our walks, and then we all go on a hike (usually 5-8 miles) as a family on the weekends. Now that there’s snow on the ground we’re thinking about adding cross country skiing or snowshoeing to the mix. So my goal for exercise is just to sustain what I’ve already been doing.
Sleep–One other goal is for my sleep schedule. I’m a night owl and it’s so hard to get out of bed when it’s dark outside (and it’s dark outside until almost 8am right now!). My daughter is also doing virtual school for a few weeks, and until she has to catch the bus at 6:30am again, I don’t have a ton of motivation to get out of bed. So 7:30am is going to be my goal to rise and shine, whether I want to or not. That’s really late for some of you, including my own husband, but please wish me luck because I need it!
Mind
(Un)social Media–These are more general goals, but one thing I’ve realized over the past few months is that I am a much happier person when I avoid social media. I know that’s an odd thing for a blogger to say, but it’s true. I’ve removed Facebook from my phone and try to limit myself to checking my personal profile just once a day. Instead, I’ve been making more of an effort to reach out to friends one on one.
(Un)plugging–I’m also trying to unplug as much as possible and spend my free time reading books and playing games with the family instead of watching TV and movies (you can see some of our favorites in this post).
News and Information–Because we’re overseas, we don’t have access to the same news channels that we did in the States, and that has turned out to be a huge unanticipated blessing. It’s nice to walk around without a constant sense of outrage mixed with dread! Remember, the world’s kings take their stand, but God laughs at their plans (that’s a loose paraphrase of Psalm 2). Please don’t think I’m checking out completely, though, I’ve just found that alternative and international news sources seem to give me a better perspective.
Feeding my Mind–I am setting a goal of two books per month, which hopefully I’ll exceed, although I’m mostly reading non-fiction these days and I tend to go through those more slowly. If you have any recommendations, please drop them in the comments below.
Soul
Feeding my Spirit–My daughter and I just started the One Year Bible together, and so far I’m really enjoying how it breaks down the daily reading (Old Testament, New Testament, and a portion of both Psalms and Proverbs). It’s also funny, but in a good way, that in a year when church has been mostly online for us I’ve spent so much more time listening to sermons and Bible studies. I have a list of pastors and churches that I’m subscribed to on YouTube and I listen as I’m cleaning, folding laundry, walking the dog, you name it. I think another of 2020’s unanticipated blessings is that God shook me awake and made me realize that I need to live every day tucked under His wing.
I’d love to hear what your goals and resolutions are for the year; you can drop a comment below or send me an email at christy@11magnolialane.com. Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds good, Christy! I don’t do resolutions…it feels more like rules I’m not following. Setting goals seems more like changing or enhancing things I’m already doing. Does that make sense? 😂 I stopped watching the news long ago, too negative and depressing. I’m being conscious of my water consumption, taking the supplements and eating healthier. I really ate too much sugar last year ~ quarantine has been hard! I’m making a concerted effort to make the time for Bible studies and enhancing my walk with God. I don’t blame you for wanting to sleep in! 💤 😊 I look forward to seeing more of Germany and your adventures!
xo
Pat
That makes perfect sense, Pat, and I agree with you. Lots of people don’t do the resolutions for just that reason; my approach is just to make sure that I can achieve all of my goals. I hope you have a healthy and happy new year!
My News Year Resolution was a really simple one. I stopped charging my phone by my nightstand. I had all these made-up reasons why I was doing it. A few days into it, it still feels so strange, but I know in my heart of hearts there will be numerous other benefits if I can stick with it, like no more doom scrolling when I randomly think of a dinner idea that had me pick up the phone in the 1st place.
That’s a brilliant idea and I need to do the same thing! I’ve been in the habit of listening to a Bible verse channel on YouTube while I sleep but that means my phone is right there in bed with me (also probably not the safest thing since those wireless signals are so unhealthy). Thanks for the tip and reminder!
Christy