The Declaration

This year I hit the magical number:  35.  Some theorize this is the age people start to feel an urgency to pave a solid path to walk on.  Many find it is a time to contemplate this very important question: what do I want to accomplish in this life?  If you've hit this age,  you may find yourself in a similar place.  The carefree years of our twenties are behind us.  We've had our share of fun, made plenty of mistakes, worked our first "real" job, and perhaps gotten married and started a family.  We've transitioned into our thirties and now found ourselves smack dab between thirty and that "f" word. You know.  Forty.

I am not sure if it's the number or my current season of life, but I have been struck with the desire to stop making excuses, mismanaging my time, and putting things off until the timing is right.  The truth is, the timing will probably never be any better than it is now.  All of those nagging little "to-do's," dreams, and goals need not be put on hold anymore.  I have dubbed 2015 as, "The Year to Get It Done"...and I have every intention of doing just that.

You might be thinking this sounds like a lofty declaration.  You may also be wondering what the heck I'm talking about.  What is it I want to get done?  I have been taking the month of December to carefully consider my goals and dreams and jotting them down in a notebook.  Thus far I've come up with several categories which encompass nearly every facet of my life:  finance, business, home organization, home projects, health and exercise, traveling, family time, relationships, faith, and service.  Within each category I have written my ideas and goals.  It's been very therapeutic.  I have strategically placed it on my nightstand and some nights when my mind is racing, I take the time to write down my thoughts before drifting off to sleep.

Naturally this journey includes my husband as well, so amping up the communication is a huge component.  We've spent some time discussing where we currently are and where we'd like to be in many of these areas.  In order to fulfill our goals and make some of our dreams come true, we're going to have to be on the same page.  This year will be a wonderful opportunity to grow as a couple and strengthen our relationship.

The bright yellow notebook has become the blueprint for the year ahead.  Items will be crossed off, new ideas added, and a whole lot of notes will be taken in the process.  There is no set schedule.  I have no plan for focusing on one particular area each month nor have I devised any systematic way to tackle my goals.  Instead, I am looking forward to committing to the journey and letting it unfold as it may. While there is a need to set some short and long-term goals in some areas (like finance and travel), the majority of the other areas are open to flexibility and growing as a person, wife, mother, and friend.  

Are you tired of putting things off?  Have a bucket list you'd like to tackle?  Then join in the journey. Follow along on Facebook or sign up for email updates and keep yourself on track to make it a fun and successful year.  Grab a notebook, jot down your thoughts and goals in the areas you find important, and see where you end up a year from now.  2015 is right around the corner and it is, after all, the year to get it done.