Happy New Year, Everyone!

Every year I like to make a goal for myself to reach in the twelve months ahead. I know it is cliché, but it helps me focus on improving at least one aspect of my life. In general, I have done well with my goals.

Last year, I was a little too ambitious with my list. I will write the final update next week, but I am sure that it will come as a surprise to no one that I was unable to complete all of the projects on my list. I did well but just could not finish. The damn trim was just too much for me… or rather I wish that I could blame it on the trim. The truth is that I never even got around to starting that item on the list.

Therefore, this year I am going to go a little easier on myself and shorten the list. I have pared it down to five items this year instead of eleven.

1) Lose 20 pounds- This is the one area where I am not going easy on myself, and it is the most important thing on my list. My weight has slowly been increasing over the years, and I need to put an end to it before it gets out of control. This is not only an aesthetic choice; it is important for my health. My husband is one of the fittest people that I have ever met, and I need to use him as motivation. I want to look like this again. This was New Year’s Eve 2007 in Venezuela.

2) Improve my family relationships and friendships- Second only to my health, my loved ones are the most important part of my life. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with work and all the things that I want to do around the house, and I need to remember that people are more important. The work will still be there, but my loved ones may not.

3) Travel- I make it my goal to leave the country at least once every year. I hope to continue this in 2015. I would also like to get to one of the five states I have yet to visit. This is less likely, but I want to keep it in mind. You never know when an opportunity might present itself for us to go to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska or Hawaii.

4) Finish at least one room in the house- Last year I put two rooms on my list and did not finish either one. This year, I hope to finish at least one. I am going to keep which open, although it will most likely be the kitchen since it is the closest to completion.

I lied. There are not five. Once I started the list, I decided that I wanted to keep it even more simple than I had previously planned. The first item on my list is going to take a great deal of time and dedication.

So, there are my goals for 2015. Anyone else making some resolutions? Please, share them with me. I am going to need other people on a mission to keep me focused and motivated!

Happy Homemaking!