2013 Goals

Financial

- Stay on budget

If we stay on budget this year, we will be able to accomplish SO much. We will be debt free (minus the house and car) and our emergency fund will be fully funded for 6 months. This includes making some improvements on the house and taking a nice vacation. Staying on budget this year will set us up for saving for really big things the following year, like a second car, a second house and a baby.

House

Last year, much of our house budget was spent on decorating. Purchases like artwork, rugs, furniture and paint add up really quickly. This year, we want to focus our house budget on things that will have a bigger, more permanent impact. Here are some of the changes we want to make to the house this year:

- Update kitchen countertop

- Update kitchen cabinets

- Install backsplash in kitchen

- Update faucets in bathrooms

- Update cabinets in master bathroom

- Update cabinets in guest bathroom

- Stretch goal - Build a deck (We haven't gotten an estimate to see how much this would cost us yes, so we're not sure if it's attainable. This will likely only happen if we stay on or under budget for the rest of our projects.)

Bailey

We really want to focus on getting Bailey over her separation anxiety this year. She is WAY better than she used to be, but we still don't leave her out while we're at work. I would like to be able to do this by the end of 2013.

Personal

I really need to have more "me" time. I'm so bad at this. Josh plays basketball at least once a week most weeks, so this is the perfect time for me to do something for myself, like unwind and take a bubble bath. I really don't take advantage of this time. 

I want to become stronger in my faith. I really want to focus on reading the Bible more. Honestly, I could probably count on 1 hand the number of times I have read my Bible last year, and I'm really not OK with that. 

I want to not be so hard on myself. I know I can't really measure this one, but it's definitely something I need to work on. I need to set more realistic short term goals for myself. Right now, I make very unrealistic to-do lists for myself. When I don't accomplish everything on my list, I feel like I have failed myself. I need to be more realistic in estimating the time it takes for me to do things, and keep that in mind while I am making my lists. If I don't complete everything on my list, I need to realize it's not the end of the world and it doesn't make me a loser. 

I really want to get back to my wedding day weight. This was a resolution I had last year, and I accomplished it, but then I gained it all back and some. I'm not so focused on the weight itself, but I want to be fit and toned. I just feel like I should have some sort of measurable goal to keep myself accountable.