Re-resolve today!

How's everyone's 2013 going?  As you can tell from my lack of updates, my 2013 is either rather boring, rather busy, or I've gotten rather lazy.  Let's go with busy, that sounds better than the other ones.

This past New Year was the first New Year that I actually sat down and made a list of resolutions for the year, and I love it!  It's so great to have a goal to work towards and to make little steps each day towards a better you!  

In December our Sunday School teachers told us that we should be well rounded people, so a good idea for New Years was to have resolutions that improved you in four areas:

1. Spiritual
2. Social
3. Physical
4. Educational

So, on January 1, 2013 just after 12:00 am I made a list.

My Spiritual Goals

The first spiritual goal I made was to read through the Book of Mormon this year.  I've read through the Book of Mormon before, but in my stake growing up we were always encouraged to follow the 2x4 (two by four) plan.  

There are four time periods, and two things for each time period.  Daily, read your scriptures and pray.  Weekly, have Family Home Evening and attend church. Monthly, attend the temple and fast. Yearly, read the Book of Mormon and be able to declare yourself as a full tithe payer at tithing settlement (I think... It may be attend your conferences.  You know, like Stake and Ward Conference as well as General Conference.  This last is the one I always forget).  

So, I decided that this year I would read through the Book of Mormon.  I calculated that if you just read two thirds of a chapter per day then you will finish in 365 days.  Two thirds is kind of a weird number so I try to read a full chapter a day, that way, on days with long chapters or late nights I can just read a half.

I know a chapter a day isn't a lot, and I know a lot of people say read for a set time not a set number of pages or chapters, but this is my scripture study dang it!  One chapter is way more than none and even this little change in my life has made a huge difference in my closeness with the Lord.

My second spiritual goal is to attend the temple at least once a month.  I love the temple and most of the time I find my time there to be enlightening and peaceful.  The temple is a place where, not only can you serve your deceased ancestors, but it also provide a safe place where you can reflect on how you are doing in your life.  I know there have been times in the temple where I have felt like I'm not in the right place in my life, and it isn't a disappointed feeling or a shameful feeling, but rather an inspired feeling that propels you to better yourself.  I love it!

My Social Goal

This one was hard because what goals do people make socially?  I want to have more friends? How the heck is that measured?  I want to be nicer? Again, can't measure it.  I finally settled on 100% visiting teaching for the month.

I've never been great at visiting teaching, and I've never really seen the benefit from it in my life.  But, the Relief Society goes on about how it's important, so this year I'm giving it my all and seeing what I get out of it.  So far it still feels like just something to get done, but I'm hoping as I get to know my girls more (they just switched me after I had been with the same girls since April...rude) I will see the benefit of it and grow closer to these women in my ward.

My Physical Goal

Hopefully most of you have gotten bored by now and stopped reading because this one is embarrassing!  My pathetic physical goal is to exercise at least once a week.  That's right, I'm only shooting for one measly workout a week.  But, that's a heck of a lot better than never right?  I know a lot of people think that I'm in shape and I work out just because I'm small, but I don't.  Not fair, I know, but that's how it is.  The main idea here is an attainable goal that will still make a small difference, and it has.  I have worked out at least once a week in 2013, and I've noticed that on the days I do work out I have more energy and motivation and I feel more accomplished.  It feels great.

My goals with exercise aren't to loose weight.  I'm actually considered underweight for my height (even after gaining ten pounds in marriage).  My goals pertaining to exercise are more energy, more motivation, less days where Depression controls me, tone, more muscle (for more weight), and better endurance.  

My Educational Goal

I knew that if I set a goal that had to do with my actual University classes this year that I would be disappointed.  So instead of setting a goal that I would maybe reach, I set a very attainable goal.   I'm working to complete the Web Fundamentals track on Codecademy by the end of the year.  Codecademy is an online resource that teaches different programming styles and languages, and the Web Fundamentals teaches HTML and CSS which is something I've been trying to improve in for almost my whole life.

The great news is, I am on track with all of my goals.  I've read more than two thirds of a chapter for each day thus far, I've attended the temple in January and February (and with plans to attend next weekend for March), I've visited my sisters each month, I've worked out at least once a week and sometimes even more, and I've completed over half of the Web Fundamentals track on Codecademy.

I know my goals are small ones, but I also know that they are improving me bit by bit.  I may not be taking huge steps in the right direction, but I'm at least slowly moving towards a better me and I love it!

So my challenge for all of you is this, if you're keeping up on your goals then great!  If you've slipped up or given up on your goals then re-resolve today!  If you didn't set goals or your first goals were a little unrealistic then set some goals today!

To be successful you just have to be a little bit better each day.