Creating a realistic New Year list of goals

Melissa, over at the Inspired Room pulled me up short this morning and made me stop to think, something I try not to do on a Saturday morning! She used that word I used to hate..."goals"...UGH! Goals used to bring a cold chill down my spine...something you HAVE to do and SHOULD accomplish and if you don't, well, then you feel you've FAILED. Horrors, sounds awful, doesn't it? But, Melissa managed to peak my interest and to also prod me into thinking of a few goals for myself. All of us have this bright, shiny New Year, glistening in all its youth, challenging people all over this earth to make heartfelt promises and to write down goals and to rise to do our very best for ourselves and for those we love and for mankind.

So, Melissa, I will commit to some goals for the year. They may not be as lofty as yours, but here goes:

Sleep-overs: There will be a sleep-over with my grandchildren at least once a month, hopefully twice a month. We will bake cookies, watch movies, eat popcorn, laugh, giggle, stay up too late and sleep in on Saturday morning. We will make memories that will keep me warm when the cold winds of winter chill my heart and memories that will warm those children when I am gone. I hope they will remember those sleep-over memories when they have grandchildren and want to plan a fun time with little ones. (We made potholders for their parents on a sleep-over in December. I took photos and made a collage, below, to give to Jeff and Cindy so the boys and I could share with them our "crafty" sleep-over. I'm thinking of button picture frames for us to make for Mother's Day.)

Friends: I will stay in touch with my friends and get in touch with friends I have lost contact with over time. A few years ago an old friend found me after 20 years. I treasure our renewed contact and hope to find one friend that I have lost touch with and foster a new relationship.

Family: I will make more time for my family. More dinners at my place. More phone calls. More cards. More letters. More pictures. More, more, more.

Health: I will continue on my path to lasting health and will reach my weight goal by June 1st finally getting rid of the pounds I put on when I stopped smoking. I will encourage those who feel hopeless and hope to inspire those who need a little push when they feel a bit discouraged.

My gardens: I will plant at least three additional perennials in the gardens that surround my home and will finally plant that tree in the front of the property that I have promising myself I would do for the past five years.

Saving: I will be consistent in my saving and see it not as a sacrifice but as a gift to myself.

Lists: I will make realistic lists for myself in the morning. No more of those that cover both sides of a piece of paper and make me feel like I didn't do enough at the end of the day.