Monday, January 5, 2009

New Year, New Leaf?

I have never been much of one for New Years Resolutions. I might set a goal or two after I heard other people making their lists, but I never got into it much. But this year, as a gaze out at a fresh year before me, I am yearning to become a better person. I feel trapped by my own inability to set and achieve goals. I feel such a strong desire to take even one little corner of my self and make it better than it currently is. For a long time now, I've felt like I've been just treading water, content with just keeping myself afloat. I'm ready to swim. I don't want to survive, I want to live! (Can you place that quote? Oh, you've got kids too?) The problem is, there is so much room for improvement in EVERY part of my being, that I'm overwhelmed with where to start. I know I'd like to exercise more regularly, eat a little healthier, be a better Mom, improve my relationship with the Savior, teach my kids the gospel better, be more organized, keep my house cleaner, use my talents more, write more, keep up with the gardening better, serve at church more wholeheartedly, read more...
you get the picture.
So where does one start? Do I take one of those things and focus on it? Or do I take my life as a whole and try to just step everything up one notch? Honestly, I think for me, the answer lies in just taking everything up a notch. I may not be right where I want to be with everything by the end of the year, but I will feel like my life has moved forward and I'm progressing. If I just focus on one thing I think I will feel like too many things are left neglected. Plus, don't you think that all those things play off one another? They are all connected, they are all part of me. As improvement happens in one area, I think it will make it more possible for improvement in other areas. As I improve my relationship with my Savior, I will become a better mother and wife, I will fulfill my service at church more fully, I will desire even more to take care of the body God has given me by eating healthier and exercising. As I do those things I will have more energy for gardening, sharing my talents, etc.
So that is my goal for this year-
To take my life up a notch. (Don't worry, I'll be a little more specific when I write it down for myself.) To swim. To live. Remind me to follow up in December and let you know how I did.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this post. I feel the same way. I never really get into new years resolutions probably because in the past I didn't keep them well. But this year I have felt the desire to do better and just think the best.
Happy New Year by the way! I have been a crazy lady since before Christmas. Your blog look is SO cute too! Love it!!!

merathon said...

i know EXACTLY what you mean. last night, i taught an FHE lesson about setting goals for our family for the new year. kendall and berkeley were putting in their two cents as well, and by the time we were done, our list was HUGE! it's pretty overwhelming, but i think if we do like you said, just step everything up a notch, we'll be doing great!

Persnickety Prints said...

You know i ONLY read long posts like this when they are yours! You make me laugh!! MOLLY.... don't be so darn hard on yourself! You are amazing at everything you do! And, you know i actually admire people that aren't crazy & OCD like myself....i wish i could just let things go! So, new resolution..just be happy as you are because to me, you are perfect!!!:) (yes, i know i live 5,000 miles away) LOVE YOU!

Audrey said...

oh yeah... new years resolutions!! I'm the opposite from you and Jen-Lee, haven't even thought about that- ooops. But your entry has inspired me... I'm going to try the same thing :0) Thanks.

Virginia said...

Happy New year! Can I say that I'm not ready? I always start out the year with a huge list of things I need to improve on , sort of like your list, and then fail miserably.

But this year I have one goal - to improve my physical fitness and health. At the end of this year I will turn 40 and I know that it is high time for me to start caring for this body of mine if I want it to be alive and healthy when Maxx enters his teen years and my daughter starts bringing grandchildren home for me to babysit. As it is, my physical frailties impede my ability to serve and be productive on a regular basis. So that's my goal - exercise every day that I'm not physically incapacitated in some way (like with this stupid stomach wrenching bug I've got today) and seek for was to improve my immune system so that I'm not sick every three weeks. (It would be SO good to sing in choir again!)