High Hopes for 2014

I don’t know where you all stand in the New Year’s Resolution camp, but I like them. I feel like January 1st is an opportunity for a clean slate. Sort of like the beginning of a new semester in school – I haven’t screwed anything up yet and an A is still possible.

I like the possibility for achieving new milestones. Of becoming a better version of myself.

Goal Setting

At the beginning of each new fiscal year when I worked in law firms, accounting firms or consulting firms, we put together goals for the year for ourselves, as well as goals for our practice groups. I’ve usually been so focused on goals at work that I never set them for myself at home, as a family or on a personal level.

But this year I’m going to write down my personal goals. Because if you don’t write them down, they don’t happen.

I’ve learned from the goal setting process that they should be written so they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound (SMART). They shouldn’t be generic, like “lose weight.” Instead, you should say something like, “work out twice a week.” This way, you can definitely track your progress and, at the end of the year, measure how you’ve done.

I put together a little Goal Setting document. Feel free to download it. I hope you find it helpful.

Our Goals for 2014

I plan on sitting down with the kids and establishing some personal goals for each of them. I don’t think they are too young to start. And we’ll identify goals we want to accomplish as a family. Stephen and I will each set personal goals, financial goals and, of course, goals for the remainder of our Simple Year.

I’ll share some of these goals once we’ve set them, but in the meantime I’d love to hear your thoughts on resolutions. Do you set them? Or do you not?

The Simple Year Won The Top Simplicity Blog of 2013 on Midway Simplicity

I was blown away that we won the top simplicity blog contest over at Midway Simplicity. Thank you to Pat for nominating us. Thank you also to Kerry for allowing us the opportunity to share our journey with you all. This has been such a blessing for us. And all of you have been amazing. So, thank you to you.

Christmas Round Up

We celebrated Christmas three different times. Once for our little family, once with my side of the family and once with Stephen’s side of the family. I’ll do a round-up post soon. I was pretty happy with how it all turned out.

Update on Our Friend

And I was overwhelmed by all of the incredibly thoughtful comments on my post about our friend who is battling cancer. I didn’t respond to each individual comment because, honestly, I’ve sort of just buried myself in a hole. Stephen and I have been praying a lot. And thinking about our friend, her husband and her children. A lot. And cherishing every moment with our families over Christmas. Because we are overwhelmed by the reality of her condition. She’s at peace with it all, which is really all I could hope for, for her. But she is in terrible pain.

She made it to Christmas. Her husband turned 39 on the 28th. She turned 40 today. People, she made it to 40.

We’ve been saying “I love you” a lot more lately. We tell each other I love you. We tell our children. We tell our parents and siblings. And we tell our friends how much they mean to us.

Because. We. Can.

A Fond Farewell to 2013

I’m looking forward to an awesome 2014. A year of possibility. A year of positivity. A year of love. I wish that for all of you as well.

Peace and love to you all.

~Kandice