January.  In some ways, this is my least favorite part of the year.  I am not a fan of cold weather, and I love the holidays.  It’s always just a little bit of a let-down as you slowly get back in the swing of things with real life schedules again.  We are currently enjoying the final day of vacation time before we all head back to work and school routines tomorrow.  The kids and I could use a trial run on a Friday before doing the real thing next week, so I like the opportunity to go back tomorrow and then having a weekend to get used to the idea.

Looking back at all of my January posts on this blog from 2011 onward, I am really good at making plans and resolutions, but not so consistent about keeping all of them.  (Some of them, yes!  But not all.)  This year, I’ve run through a long mental list of all the things I hope to accomplish ….. I want to write more here and get back into gratitude journaling.  I want to somehow create a routine that allows more space and time for myself.  I want to get my house in shape and my organization on track here at home.  I want to begin to teach my kids some good habits and make health a priority for all of us.  I want to continue to learn more about food and nutrition and use that knowledge in my own kitchen.  I want to work on making this house a home and tackle my blank-slate backyard this summer.  And my list goes on and on.

All of those things really stem from using my time more efficiently and intentionally and making thoughtful goals that get real progress.  Long-term goals are hard for me with two little kids in tow.  It’s all I can do to meal plan on a weekly basis, and I find it hard to plan much farther than month-to-month. I’m hoping to use this space as a place to set some goals and reflect on those plans – and maybe share some ideas with you as well.

So I guess my plan is to write more on this blog and to make thoughtful monthly goals expressly stated here to hold me accountable.  Some of these goals will undoubtedly be boring (drink more water, anyone?) and others more interesting. But one thing I’ve learned is that saying something aloud – whether that is in person or in print – makes it far more likely that I’ll accomplish something.

My January List:

• Drink more water.
• Spend a few hours on Sunday afternoons doing healthy food prep – baking bread, pre-chopping veggies, getting healthy lunch options in the refrigerator.
• Get Jude on track with a chore chart.  (Ironically, we attempted this long before he was really capable, and I have not done it since he’s been old enough to actually contribute.)
• Do one load of laundry every evening when we get home. (This one is boring but so huge for me.  Laundry has been burying me since I went back to work, and I’m sadly realizing I cannot save it all for the weekends.)
• Put away my phone and computer after the kids are in bed each night, and use my time intentionally to do something I really want to do – knit, read, watch television, etc.  I can’t create more hours in the day, but I can use them a little more efficiently to carve some space for myself.

Thanks for reading or skimming along and holding me accountable. I hope you’re using January to stay warm with family and set some solid intentions for the months to come.  Happy 2014!