1) Read more.
I've always enjoyed learning. In fact, I think we all participate in a learning activity every day. What you surround yourself with will contribute to furthering your knowledge in something. Many times, however, we do not surround ourselves with things that are beneficial.
For example, I can watch a lot of YouTube. I don't know what it is about these popular "story time" videos but they are so fascinating! The problem is, all I am learning by watching these videos is how stupid people can be and how my generation is going down the toilet. That's not very beneficial in the grand scheme of things. Sure, we should all enjoy some entertainment here and there but we should also be actively learning things that are helpful and contribute to good character, health, spiritual-growth, etc.
In sum, starting this year, I want to be better at choosing to read good books. Particularly books that: a) Teach me more about who God is. (first and foremost, his Word.) b) enlighten me on a subject that I want to learn more about (health & fitness, cooking, the civil war... you get the idea) and c) inspire me (biographies, ideas, christian living, etc.)
2) Unplug more.
This one is difficult to do for many people, including myself. It is so easy for me to stay "plugged in" all day, distracted by social media and entertainment. Sometimes when I get home, I want little social time or human interaction so I drown myself in television and my iPhone. However, this only steals away valuable time that I could be spending with my husband.
This year, I will work on "unplugging" and eating dinner at the table with my wonderful husband. Conversation or no conversation, at least I will be fully present!
3) Lift more.
I am working on this one already. Y'all have heard me groan about it a million times. I love cardio TOO MUCH. Now, I am venturing off into the weight section more and lifting heavy weights. I want to get toned and I don't want to interfere with that process by doing too much cardio. It's science people, look it up! Cardio makes you flabby and does not contribute to long-term fat loss... lifting tightens things up and leans you out! Plus, it makes you feel pretty hard core (no pun intended). :)
4) Plan more.
I am already semi-good at this but this year I really want to plan my meals better. This means I will need to shop well, cook efficiently, portion, weigh, and pack well! A girl can never own too much Tupperware to accomplish this.
5) Wife more.
Like how I made that word into a verb? Obviously this is a pretty broad goal. There are lots of things I can work on to be a better wife. Just to name a few, I need to stop cornering my husband with silly questions (i.e. "Is my butt big?" "Have I gotten fatter?" "Do I have a big nose?") Nothing he says can ever make me happy when I ask silly questions and that's my own problem. I also need to stop being so dang selfish (ahh, the root of every relationship problem).
Ultimately, my job is to be the "encourager" and I need to be better about that. Maybe one day that will be doing the dishes when I don't want to, or making his lunch for the next day, or complimenting him and building him up with positive words. Mostly, it is making a conscious effort to think about him and how I can serve him, not myself.
6) Pray more.
My prayer life is really lacking. I guess we all go through seasons, but I have really fallen out of prayer this last season. Maybe it was law school, maybe it was getting used to a new schedule... whatever the case, there is no excuse. Not praying, is not treating God for who is... God. It is our duty to pray and it should be done daily. My goal is twice a day: first thing in the morning before I get too rushed, and right before I hit the pillow. The more I pray, the more natural it will become and I will find myself praying throughout the day.
7) Love more.
This will come with reflecting on God's love for me. When I do that, I feel more compelled to love others relentlessly. Expressing love can look so different for different people and in different contexts. It may be picking up more of the stuff that needs to be done at work so the other assistants have less to do. It may be complimenting a stranger or asking the cashier how their day is going. It may be as simple as giving strangers the right-of-way on the highway (That can be tough considering I can be bossy when I drive lol). However it looks, it all starts with deliberately choosing to put others' needs before my own.
Well, these are certainly not going to be easy goals and many of them are not ones that I can necessarily accomplish this year... they are goals I can chip away at every day, making them a part of my lifestyle and a part of my character as a child of God, representing HIS Kingdom. Thankfully, though I will fail, his grace is sufficient.
Peace and love,
A Law Student's Wife.
