Keeping the Home Link Up

I've taken a break from a lot of the blogging I was doing "last year." It's been great to have take some time to think and try to organize my brain. It's January 7th and I'm still working on what I hope to accomplish this year. There's a few reasons it's taking me this long.

Keeping the Home is about more than just cleaning, cooking and keeping my children alive each day. I feel that keeping my home includes watching over it, improving it, organizing it, caring for it and the people in it (incluing myself!) to the best of my abilities.

But it's hard to imagine all that I'd hope to accomplish it keeping my home this year. There's books I want to read, start planning for homeschooling, I want to reorganize again and purge unused things, improve my relationships, work on crafts, be a better and more committed blogger, make income from home, improve my spiritual life, lose weight, become more disciplined and so much more! Just the thought of it overwhelms me!

I always start out with lofty plans and more often than not I fall flat on my face and any changes I do make usually don't stick! What a frustrating cycle. I'd rather not repeat it this year! I've decided that I will be making small, slow changes this year. I'd rather make one small change that sticks, than 50 big ones that fall by the wayside.

Each month, I hope to reevaluate my goals and my progress from the month before and make adjustments as needed. Here's what I hope to accomplish for January:

1. Consistently waking up by 7AM or earlier (I'm at about 7:20 right now)
2. Lose 6 pounds (this isn't going so well so far)
3. Healthier eating: cut out potato chips completely as well as the "whites" food group (white sugar, white flour, white rice, etc.)
4. Stay on track for reading through the bible chronologically in 1 year
5. Review, edit and obtain or request suggested read alouds for homeschooling
6. Pick another yarn project to start on
7. Find a special way each day to make husband feel loved
8. Do something special with the girls each day (painting, puzzles, etc)
9. Finish reading Life as Mom's Organizing E-book and start on a home management binder

I think that's enough for now, don't you? :) I would absolutely love to read any suggestions or goals that you're tackling this year. If you posted your goals on your blog you can link up below and I'd love to come by and check them out!