It’s been a few years since we’ve shared resolution posts, but look at us getting it together for 2021! You can see Sarah’s list here.

I’m a big fan of resolutions, BUT I’m also not one to attach any guilt to them… at first glance, I bet a lot of my goals don’t look like resolutions, BUT, it’s all in how you frame them. Wearing more makeup? That’s really devoting a few minutes to myself and my mental health before the day starts, and maybe I end up with a bit of mascara on. Who knows.

I think it helps to look back on the past year, and list your accomplishments. Anything counts! Went to the dentist for the first time in 5 years? Attended a yoga class a month? Created your first piece of embroidery? It all counts!

Now, what did you like? What do you want to do again? Or never do? Sometimes it helps to have a measurable goal. Find a way to tally some of your goals. And to mark your progress, it definitely helps if you can break items down into daily, weekly, or monthly goals.

I try to set fun resolutions, targeting a few key areas of my life: health, creative hobbies, family & home.

• Daily :
  • wear more makeup!
  • hit those daily crunch and squat goals
• Weekly :
  • exercise: do a combination of yoga, running, and cycling. Looking back at last year, I was really happy with the number of workouts that I recorded, BUT it was also clear that I had months with a lot more workouts than others. I’d love to develop a more consistent routine, but I’d also be happy to just match last year’s numbers.
  • old habits: as life has gotten busy, some of my habits have fallen off my radar. One in particular that I’d like to pick up again is oil pulling. I think it does a great job at improving my breath and whitening my teeth, so that’s on the list. I’ve also put blogging into this category, and look at me checking that one off for the week! 😉
• Monthly :
  • 12 linoleum blocks: this is one of my creative goals that made the list. I did a bit of stamp carving with the boys last year, and it reinvigorated my interested in linoleum block carving. Rather than just say that I want to “carve more blocks” this year, I thought that it might be fun to challenge myself to carve 1/month.
  • monthly hikes: referring to the local Boulder County Almanac, I’d like to take the boys on at least one hike per month that has a seasonal component.
  • hit the (cook)books! : I don’t think I cooked as many new or creative recipes as I have in past years, so I’d like to open my pile of amazing cookbooks and try some new dishes. I made this a monthly challenge because I wouldn’t want to feel disappointed if a few weeks pass without something new.
• Annual
  • nurture seasonal rhythms: this is a passion of mine. You’re surprised, I know. But more than seasonal meals or activities, I have a few ideas this year that I’d like to implement. And I’ll tell you all about them in another post.

In addition to that list, I have lists of project ideas, piles of books to read, and kids to raise. Those are the big on-going projects that I’ll just keep whittling away at while working on this little selection of goals for the year.

But first things first. It’s time to put on some make-up!