New Year’s is just around the corner and it’s the time for writing resolutions! I much prefer to call it setting goals, because I think the phrase “New Year’s resolutions” gets such a bad rap of something people stick to for a short period of time.

I must admit, I love, Love, LOVE setting goals! I find it so satisfying to write things down on paper and cross them off my list as I accomplish them.

One thing I learned in teaching, is my goals (or objectives) have to be SMART. Here’s an example of a goal:

I will exercise in 2018.

Here’s an example of how to make it SMARTer:

I will get my heart rate up for 30 minutes a day, three times a week or more.

Here’s the breakdown of the SMART acronym:

Specific-It’s important to be specific with what you want to do! Getting my heart rate up is more specific than “exercise.” I could take a leisurely walk and label it as exercise, or I can increase my heart rate to see more results. I could also be specific in what type of exercise I want to do-running, yoga, cycling…

Measurable-I need to be able to measure my goal. If I simply say “I will exercise,” there is no accountability to how often I will do this. By saying three times a week or more, I am setting the bar, but allowing myself to aim higher.

Achievable/Attainable-Is the goal something I can achieve? Is this something that fits within my daily schedule? What do I have going on in my life? How can I create a time and space to make this happen?

Realistic-What does my current work out schedule look like? If I say, “I will get my heart rate up for one hour a day, every day of the week,” but am not exercising in any shape or form at present, this would be a tough goal to accomplish. Take a look at where you are at, and where you want to go. Baby steps. This is the main reason I believe people get so discouraged and quit. Set realistic goals that you can reach and then reset your goals, making them more challenging.

Time-Set a time frame. Thirty minutes might be a realistic amount of time for some, and might be too much/not enough for others. The beauty of goal setting is it’s YOUR goal! You get to take ownership of it and mold and shape it to challenge you personally.

What about you, Mama? What are some of your goals for 2018? One of mine might include completing one load of laundry a day-from start to finish. 🙂

The countdown is ON! Christmas is ten days away! As we rapidly approach this day, our family chooses to participate in some activities to  prepare our hearts for the Greatest Gift. We celebrate the gift of Jesus! Here are some fun things we do in the month of December:

1. Star from Afar. Every morning my son Aiden wakes up eager to search for three wooden wise men who will lead him to the star. Each night we read the book and scripture reading for that particular day. Aiden loves to remind us before he goes to sleep each night to hide the star! (You could use any kid-friendly nativity set or create your own star and wise men to search for!)
2. Felt nativity scene. For my son’s first Christmas, I used this free template to create a felt nativity scene. I have it tacked to our wall so my son can play with the characters and “act out” the story.
3. Reading stories! Some of our favorites include: Goodnight Manger by Laura Sassi and Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
4. Creating Christmas gifts. I was recently challenged by my friend Christy’s perspective. She wants to raise her daughter to be aware of what she can give, not just receive. Gift giving for a child can come in multiple forms: a craft, a song in the church play, spending time serving at an elderly home…it can vary from year to year based on your child’s abilities and interests as they grow.
5. Christmas lights. There’s nothing super spiritual about this activity, but who doesn’t love Christmas lights? We are big fans of Gabriel Lane and Hoffman’s Chocolate in Palm Beach County.

What do you do with your family, Mama? How do you prepare your little ones’ hearts for the Greatest Gift?

Our felt Nativity scene 🙂