12 in 2012 (on the 12th)

 

i'm going to start off by saying i'm all for goal making, but i've also got to say that i'm not all for new year's resolutions. i do love a new year, a fresh start, a clean slate. buuuuuuuuuuuut, i think goals and resolutions can {and should} be made at any point during the year. 

that being said, the beginning of a new year is a great time to look back and reflect on what has passed and what i would like to change and improve upon in the coming days, weeks and months. and there are a lot, believe you me. 

ryan and i follow his family's long-time tradition of writing predictions on new years eve each year and reading them the following new years eve. and we pride ourselves on getting lots of them right. these predictions aren't so much goals {they can be} but just guesses as to what kinds of things might happen in the coming 365/6 days. 

two years ago, when leah was in the depths of regression, we wrote our predictions per our usual routine and a year ago when we read them, we were borderline depressed. nearly every prediction having to do with leah did NOT happen and in most cases, was much worse than we could have ever guessed. it was no one's fault - we were simply optimistic parents and leah just had things happen that were completely out of her control. so, one year ago, when we wrote our new predictions for the coming year, we were a bit more careful. more conservative. more considerate of what might be in our control and what most definitely was not. we didn't just write fluff, but we made sure to not set ourselves up for failure. 

and you know what!? it was a great idea. because when we opened up those predictions just two weeks ago, we were thrilled with what had transpired in 2011. as rough of a year as it was, we went into it being hopeful and optimistic and realistic and came out happy campers. 

i decided i need to apply that same rule to my goal making. some things are in my charge, some things are not. and i can't do anything about it. so i'm not going to make unrealistic goals. one of my favorite new quotes is from russell m. nelson, a leader in my church. he said,  

Don't demand things that are unreasonable, 

but demand of yourself improvement.

(http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng&query=mens+hearts+shall+fail+them#mens-hearts-shall-fail-them)

and with that, i give you my goals for 2012. if nothing, this is simply for me to be able to look back in 12 months and see what i felt was important going into this year. 

1. have a baby 

{i'd love to say, "have a normally-developing baby" or "have a healthy baby", but i'm not writing anything in here about what this baby will look like, or how she will develop or what she will do, when/what she will eat, how she will sleep, who she will be or anything of the sort. it's just not in my control.}

2. sign up for a marathon

{i'm not crazy enough to run one this year. wowzers. but i would like to have one in mind. and possibly one for rett syndrome.}

3. run a half marathon

{definitely do-able. even in a new england winter. because i just purchased myself a pair of these...in red.}

4. go on 12 dates with ryan

{last year was hectic. and we didn't take the time for ourselves that we needed. and it's needed.}

5. see my family

{man oh man is the east coast far away. and this might not be the farthest the layton family ever gets. but in the meantime i'd like to see, in person, as many of their smiling faces as i can this year.}

6. read 6 books

{i know. this is ridiculous. especially for a reader like me. but i just haven't taken the time lately! i finished a book over christmas break and forgot how much i truly love to read. i'm halfway through my first for the year. i hope to completely surpass this measly number, but i'm simply demanding of myself improvement. i welcome any book suggestions so long as they aren't sci-fi.}

7. finish the new testament

{i made an unreasonable goal last year with a friend and am seriously amending it for this year. go me.}

8. try out one new recipe a month

{again, ridiculous, i know. but i'm so horrible at trying new things! rest assured i've pinned probably 14,000 new recipes, but i feel like i need to taste or see them first. however, i've already tried two this month and it's worked out splendidly! again, recommendations are welcomed.}

9. write something. and submit it somewhere. 

{nothing big. nothing fancy. nothing specific. just do it.}

10. work on my grandpa's history

{no excuses maren. not even having a baby is an excuse. life is only going to get busier. and you owe it to this amazing man.}

11. work on a blog book

{i'd like to say, "finish" or "publish" but again, that could very well be unreasonable. baby steps.}

12. slow down. make time. don't overextend myself. breathe. be still.

{self explanatory. and two weeks in, it's working wonders.}

happy new year!

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