New Year - new goal setting

So....it's January 1st that means it's goal setting time!!! I thought about setting one of the typical goals; lose weight (when don't I need to do this?!?!), exercise, blog more, leave school earlier, cook more (other than hamburger helper and mac and cheese), be that crafty mom.... but then this morning on one of those good morning shows I don't get to see during the school year I head a guy say that instead of setting a goal - choose a word!! CHOOSE A WORD?!? WOW, I thought. He explained it this way: choose a word that you want to focus on this year and then apply it to all areas of your life. So instead of picking an activity you choose a word and then make sure all you do is in line with that word. Fill your world with that world - write it everywhere so that it is ever present and reminding you of what you want to accomplish.

Examples:
Word: OPEN
Being open to new ideas, new foods (diet?!?), new activities for yourself and your family, trying new things, new relationships and experiences.

Word: GROW
Grow in knowledge (about food, exercise, a topic....), grow in relationships, experiences and life


I love it!! I love how I can't fail at this (or so I feel I can't) there is no scale telling me that cutting out my precious soda isn't working anymore, or an alarm that I once again hit snooze on instead of working out. No guilt when I look at the clock and realize that I once again I'm staying late.  Instead I am just striving to incorporate an word into my life and making sure my actions line up to that. While I may not have new clothes to show off next year for all the weight I lost or can count more hours I spent at home instead of school or a dozen crafts to show off I will have something better. I will have more happiness, experiences to share, memories to hold on to and an internal peace. I love it!!



So I bet you are wondering what my word for the new year is. I know the suspense is killing you :) My word of the year is:

FAITH

FAITH that I am a wonderful mother, great wife, amazing teacher - FAITH in myself. FAITH in my students, peers, and family. FAITH that things will work out the way that are suppose to. FAITH in  life. FAITH that I will lose the weight, that I will start to exercise, even a little and FAITH that everything I strive for will work out in some sort of way. I think that many times I get side tracked and lose the FAITH.  I start to question. I get frustrated with my imperfections and at times the imperfections in others. While I understand that I am not perfect I often find myself demanding that of myself and feeling frustrated and even angry when I fall short. If I work on having the FAITH that even my failed efforts are wonderful, great and amazing and that I have given all I have. Then I will see more of the great things happening around me as a result of my efforts instead of always seeing what else I could have or should have done. So the word, the focus, the goal of the year is:

FAITH

What's your word for the year?



P.S.
My family picked a word today: patience. At our family meeting we came up with a word that we thought everyone could work on and patient was the winner. We looked up what it means, and each week in our family meeting we will talk about how we are doing it, compliment each other on a job well done and either play a game that requires patience or read a scenario that requires someone to be patient and talk about it. We might chance our word half way through the year but we will see! I've already found a million ideas on the web and pintrest!! I'll keep you posted on all of our progress.