Looking Forward in 2014

Happy 2014 everyone. 

I hope you had a wonderful NYE. Kev and I did absolutely nothing but lounge and it was fantastic!

I believe that 2014 will be one of the best years yet.

We have several things to look forward to and although I'm not usually one to make resolutions there are a few goals that I've decided I really want to strive towards this year. 

I look back at 2013 and realize that I should have been better about setting some goals and actually sticking to them then what I did. 

I suppose that fact that I didn't really set goals for myself doesn't help the fact that I didn't really stick to anything.

We have so many fun things to look forward to this year and with BabyO making his/her debut in about a month and a half I know that 2014 is one that I'm going to really want to pay attention to, cherish every moment, and push myself to be the best me I can.

I feel like I'm coming up with four main goals that will really help me do all three of those things.

First and foremost I need to slow down and work on my patience.

This will be, by far, the hardest of my 4 goals.

Patience: It's been said about a million times on here that that I have no patience and I mean it.

I've already started looking on pinterest and online for some articles and ideas on how to help myself calm down a little bit.

Slow down: Kev and I are always on the go, mainly because of me.

I know with BabyO coming we won't have as much time or money to do all the social things we do now but I've already started thinking of all the things I want to do with baby once he/she arrives!

Baby isn't even out of the womb yet and I'm trying to come up with an agenda of things to do.

Whoa there Megan, chill out a little bit please?!

So I've bought myself a bigger, better planner to help manage my time in a more productive way.

Part of me wants to set up some rules for myself about how much I plan during a week but the other part of me feels like that is limited myself and if something fun or new comes up I don't want to turn it down just  because of my rules.

Second, eat better and legitimately exercise.

Eating: Something I love to do and probably do it to often, but food is just so stinkin' good.

I don't eat the worst, but I definitely do not eat the best. 

The challenge here is going to be figuring out how to make the things I love in a more healthy way.

As part of this goal I recently got an app called MealBoard to help me with meal planning and to try out some new recipes. Never been much of a meal planner but with the first goal I'm hoping that Kev and I will have quite a bit more time at home to make home cooked meals.

All you bloggers out there keep posting those delicious meals you make!

Any tips on meal planning? 

For those of you who do meal plan, how to handle last minute plans where you can't make the meal you recently planned for?

Exercising: now I say legitimately because I don't not exercise but I'm not really in a gym or actually exercise "on purpose". In the last year or so many of the times I've exercised was when I was doing things like playing volleyball with my friends, or taking the dogs on a walk with Danielle. Yes, I realize those activities are exercising but the exercise was not the reason for doing them. It was the socializing.

It is still activity and I don't plan to cut it out but I want to take more classes like yoga and zumba, and I want to see myself make it to the gym or running outside with some kind of mileage goals. I want to exercise solely for the purpose of exercising.

I do have a gym membership and again with me trying to not bog down the schedule do often I am working on setting up a routine to get myself there at least 3 times a week.

Also, I will be in 2 weddings this year, the first being in June so I need to shape up kinda quick after BabyO has arrived to fit into the bridesmaids dress! 

Any fun classes or apps you recommend to help me stick to my exercising?

Third, read more.

I used to read all.the.time and now I barely do.

I am in a book club but even then I don't usually make it through the book we are reading before we have our meeting.

I enjoy reading and why I don't set out some more time to do it is beyond me.

I've set a goal for myself to read 30 books this year on GoodReads.

30 doesn't seem like to many, and I suppose it's not but I wanted it to be realistic.

In reality I'm hoping I can read more than that but we'll see how it goes.

Anyone have any good book suggestions for me to add to my list?

 Fourth, spend less and declutter.

Declutter: as we've been preparing for BabyO I realize that Kev and I have way to much stuff!

I'm talking kitchen gadgets, decorations, clothes, everything!

It'd be one thing if we really used it all but we don't, or at least not often.

So this year I'm hoping to tackle some of the excess and purge.

I mean really purge, and not replace.

I'm hoping this spring/summer we can have a yard sale, and I can sell some things online to help bring some of the money spent back in, but I have no issues donating items and plan to have AmVets or Goodwill on speed dial to come pick up some things for us.

Spend Less: Much easier said than done for this girl.

I'm hoping between things like slowing down, meal planning, and decluttering this goal will come a little easier then it has in years passed.

However, I did recently joined Mint.com to help me with budgeting and figuring out where Kev and I really spend our money.

Right now I know we spend on very frivolous things that we don't need, and with baby coming this year that'll have to stop!

Plus who doesn't like to save money in general? Right?!

Do you guys have any quick and easy tips for me?!

I know people tend to pick a word to live by for a year and I think this year my word would be focus.

I really want to focus on these goals, and all of them will require my focus to stick to them.

What are some of your goals for 2014?

Happy Thursday!