Every year, around this time, I am pouring feverishly over my list of goals and book challenges that I want to accomplish for the upcoming year. I make a list, and cross off what seems impractical and keep what I think I could actually obtain. I am not linking up within this post to any of my past resolutions/goal/challenges lists - they're now rather embarrassing and over the top. I usually over do it, AND, every year, I usually fail miserably. Okay, not miserably as that would imply I became emotionally attached to said goal/challenges, but fail I do.
2013 is the year of NO resolutions and NO book challenges.
First and foremost, I am not too fond of the upcoming year's number. It really does not lend itself to any exciting anticipation of fresh starts, new things to conquer and all that. 2013 is a number to live through with hopefully some humility and grace. Although, one thing great about this number is that it does represent the year that Eva-Marie will graduate from high school, and Benjamin graduates from college. Beyond that, 2013, the number, is not much more than that to me, an odd number, and I am not too fond of odd numbers especially 13 - for whatever reason. (23, 11, 15, and 31 - I do like).
Which brings me to this....
2013 is not a year for a list of goals and book challenges, but it is a year to keep a few things in focus during my daily living.
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- God
- Bible (reading and understanding)
- Humility
- Books in general: no challenges per se, but will join in on discussions and such as my life sees fit.
- Reading in general: No lists of books to read. I will read books as my mood chooses.
- Books read in a year: I will participate in the GoodReads' 2013 Reading Challenge but only because its a great way, at a glance, to see how many books I have read throughout the year. I am not stuck on a number of books to read but will choose 48 as a "goal" number.
- Books Purchased: I do like my 2012 Book Manifesto even though I did not keep track all that well on the post, I did keep track over at Goodreads: 2012 Books Purchased. The focus, however, still suits my desire to not over buy, and to read what I already own. I will tweak my 2013 Book Manifesto to better fit what I have discovered for myself during 2012.
- Health and Fitness: a way of life. No fads, simple. Exercise and whole food/ less processed food eating. Been doing that; not perfectly. Will keep doing it; probably not perfectly. A way of life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
That's pretty much it. I covered a few major areas of my life; a general focus list rather than a list of specific goals and challenges laid out with how to accomplish.
Family? nothing mentioned about family/relationships? Yes, they are there. the beauty of God is family is enveloped right in.
2013 does not inspire resolutions or goal setting, per se. The number is simply not inspiring. What is honestly and most sincerely inspiring is the knowledge of how much God loves me....loves you. That is my drive and ultimate focus for 2013. I hope and pray I don't waver from that inspiration.
Yearly resolutions and goals do not really do it for me. Yet, there is something to be said about resolving to do something more purposefully. It dawned on me, after reading From This Life To The Next, that maybe creating a Life Mission Statement could be a good thing. Something similar to Jonathan Edwards but not quite as intense or extensive.
Do you make resolutions/goals for the New Year? If so, what lands as your priority resolution/goal? If you don't make resolutions/goals, why not?
What do you think about creating a Life Mission Statement?
What do you think of the number 2013?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Go read From This Life To The Next and The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
6 comments:
I've already written my resolutions post to put up on New Years Day (did
it earlier this morning) and as a change of pace for me I actually did a
more over the top one, not with any belief I will accomplish any of
them but just as an exercise in expressing the way I feel at the start
of any new year. It was fun and I look forward to posting it.
I
like your resolutions. Practical, the way they should be if one has any
intention of keeping them. I have some practical ones too and I have
little doubt that I will stay focused on those as well and I look
forward to seeing you accomplish yours.
I've always been
opposite and actually like the number 13. I think it is the whole
superstition of the number that draws me to it. Weird, I know, but that
is me in a nutshell.
I don't really care about the number 13 one way or the other. I guess I don't want to have any year that I think will be riddled with bad "juju" because of the number. I like setting goals. resolutions or whatever people cal them these days - it sort of helps me start the year off on the right foot.
Tanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
Any year can and will be great with the knowledge that God love us so! 2013 will be happy for us as we have two long anticipated family weddings, my daughter July 13 and my niece May 11!
I am excited to see you posted your resolutions today. Can't wait to have the time to read your post. I am so very curious as to what have planned. :)
I am not superstitious or anything like that. I just happen to not care for odd numbers much and 13 is probably my least favorite. However, with that said, when my youngest was born her due date was close to June 6th. My husband pointed out to me in our first trimester that the baby had potential to be born on 6-6-06. Ummm...yeah...6-6-6 did not sit well for me so I did schedule and induction for 6-2-06. She apparently didn't think June was a good birth month for her and decided to make her entrance on 5-31-06. :) anyway, 6 is an even number but three 6s...not good.
Thanks Tanya for stopping by and leaving a comment.
The number 13 -- no superstitious issues, I simply don't care for odd numbers much in general, don't know why.
Nothing against resolutions, in general. My history though shows I spend gobs of time choosing them and then run out of steam for doing them. Doing it differently for this year.
I hope you have fun choosing your resolutions and seeing if you keep them as the year progresses.
I am excited for you Nise! Two weddings in one year; fun! I wish you a great time preparing with your daughter for her wedding. And I wish you a grand time ion the wedding day.
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