I’m reading 4 books concurrently: Dog forever by Karen Becker, Longevity: We age and why we don’t have to by David A. Sinclair, Deep work by Cal Newport, and Your best year ever by Michael Hyatt. And I wonder why it took me so long to finish a book…
Although I enjoyed the light novel, Winter Street, in December, I tend to always lean towards books that challenge me or I can learn from. Especially this time of year when I’m thinking about what I want in 2022.
I have some vague ideas about the areas I want to improve (as i have shared here), but for some additional instructions, I LifeScore review from Michael Hyatt. It’s a pretty quick and simple look at different areas of your life, then they email the results to you in a neat little circle.
According to my emailed results, they tell me:
- You are winning in most areas of your life.
- You are someone who knows the value of clearly defined goals and you work diligently to achieve them.
- You spend a lot of time in your success zone, even though you want to be more consistent.
Do they email this to everyone? Probably. Makes me feel good though.
Not sure I agree with the latter, as I realized that last year I had almost no clearly defined goals. I wanted to do better than this for 2022, so I decided to take their categories and make a clearly defined target for each. In order of my strongest fields, and my weakest fields, here’s what I came up with:
Marriage goals
Score: 7
I’m really proud of my marriage. We’re a natural fit, which helps, but we’ve also learned to communicate effectively and tackle life together, laughing together along the way. It’s powerful, but one weak point is that we don’t stay away from both very often. We’ve picked up more date nights over the past few months, but I wanted to take that up a notch.
To enter: Let’s go on a trip, even if it’s just for a night, together, just the two of us, do something we enjoy.
Emotional goals
Score: 7
A 7 on the aligned test is determined in the following terms: I have the ability to handle any stress that comes my way. I am always confident and optimistic about the future. I face life with a feeling of gratitude and joy. I empathize with the difficulties and shortcomings of others. It is written in extremes (any stress coming my way?), which makes it very difficult to give a perfect score, but I think high EQ is an inherent strength of mine. I’m a bit lost on how to set goals for this, but I hope giving and philanthropy can be a part of this category.
To enter: Focus on 1 charity to make an impact. Commit to working together to help and get it done (hopefully with the kids!).
Financial goals
Score: 6
We just finished Assess family status last night and felt that we were in a good place financially. We feel satisfied about our retirement because we have always fulfilled the company’s plans/matches to the fullest and watching it grow over time is very exciting. Our focus is on building multiple streams of income, and we’re making progress there between David’s work, this online space, and our new focus on transforming our long-term rental into short-term rental property.
To enter: Add another short-term rental to our portfolio. I also want to track our food spending more closely and get an accurate picture of what we spend.
Intellectual goal
Score: 6
I am constantly curious. I love to learn and love to hear opinions. I get a lot of satisfaction in this area from studying with the kids in my classroom at home as we explore history, science, etc. I tend to lean more towards podcasts and want to read better books. .
To enter: Read 15 books that add to my knowledge base and make me more mature in 2022.
Physical goals
Score: 6
David and I blame each other for Madeline Moves strength training. On a typical month, we usually exercise 5-6 days a week. Honestly, it can be too limiting for me at times, but on those days, I’m just fine with the weight. I go to bed at 10:00 most nights and sleep pretty well, have decent energy and eat well. Even so, I can definitely improve in the yoga/stretching area.
To enter: 4 days a week doing yoga/stretching for at least 10 minutes (to be followed in my plan)
Parents’ Goals
Score: 6
Again, these categories can best be explained by reading the definition while doing the assessment. For a score of 7 on this sliding scale, the definition is as follows: I love being a parent and know it’s my most important job. I love my children and enjoy spending time with them. My children feel comfortable sharing their deepest desires and greatest fears. When we have a conflict, we resolve it in a way that restores trust and connectivity.
I thought it was important to share the definition of the review because I i know I am not a perfect parent. However, the outlined perimeters have been my goal from the start, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done to get closer to it, while still falling short so many times along the way.
To enter: Prioritize reading aloud time. I feel so attached to the kids when we do this and I’ve let it go for the past 6 weeks. At least 20 minutes read aloud together at least 4 days a week.
Vocational training goals
Score: 5
I have always struggled with the interpretation of A Slice of Healthy Life. It’s a hobby and a passion project and a creative outlet and provides the connection I love. It also makes money. Does that make it a job? If it To be a job, do I need to stay organized and focus on growth and systems? I’ve done it before and it takes 80% of the fun out of it for me. I gave myself 5/7 in the category because it’s going well. I’m done with what I’m doing here, but should I stretch further? I’m open to feedback on this!
To enter: Identify a specific category where I can provide value and plan to share that category across the content.
Mental goal
Score: 4
With the pandemic, we no longer have the habit of going to mass. We’ve talked about finding a new address closer to home, but haven’t made much (any) effort to do so. I talk to God often, in my own way, but could certainly use some guidance in this genre. I am interested in developing stronger beliefs in an environment that welcomes insightful discussions.
To enter: Tried 3 new churches within the first 3 months of 2022.
Social goals
Score: 4
Introvert/Extrovert… I really don’t know where I fall. I swear I’m a mix, because I need both. It’s hard to prioritize friendships during this stage of life, as many of my friends, like me, are busy with kids, activities, feeding their families, and doing all sorts of things. rank. However, I would like to do better at finding time to connect with friends and expand my social circle.
To enter: At least one coffee date or girls’ dinner per month. Also, make at least 1 new friend and invite them to dinner.
Location (Hobbies) Goals
Score: 2
I gave myself this score before I really dived into thinking about the hobby. Follow this NY Times article on how to find a hobby, I have more than I realize. I exercise regularly, I cook almost every day, I read… not often. However, I personally feel like I want something more specific; a skill.
To enter: Learn how to knit a simple square blanket for your baby. I already know how to knit, knit a basic scarf shape, and knit a scarf, but I wanted to know how to do something “real”.
Gosh…. Are you still with me?
It was a lot of thinking and writing. Thanks for getting through that with me. I found this a really helpful exercise and I hope you will do a review and take the time to analyze your answers. If you’ve outlined some goals, I’d love to know what they are!
Well, okay, with that, I feel like I’m ready to watch Georgia beat Michigan (please, please, please), take home 2022, and start running now. I have my new plan ready to start….!
Before I go, let me have a happy new year with you. Thank you for spending some of your time with me this past year. I know how valuable your time is and wanted to honor it by writing posts that are worth reading, whether to connect or to share something fun or helpful. Thank you for being a friend. Now let’s take a deep breath and prepare to make 2022 a great year! See you next year! …
