Wow! I try to set goals each year. I usually set very lofty ones, and I'm going to try and avoid that. I already have my 101 goals to keep me going on projects etc., so this year, I'm going to keep it simple.
As I was out running the other day, I took out my earphones and tried to figure out some things in my life. I feel as though there is so much that I want to be--loving wife, put-together-woman, loving/fun mom, excellent housekeeper, so on and so forth. As I was going through all the things I wanted to be in my head, half praying for help to become and half feeling overwhelmed by the weight of not already being those things, I realized that I was missing something vital. That something missing was my Heavenly Father. I'd been wishing and hoping mostly for things that I wanted. Not bad things, but what bothered me was that the things I worried most about were not the most important. My priorities were out of whack. As my thoughts turned, I began to really pray. And I feel that I was given some wisdom.
What and who do I want to be most of all? More than being pretty and in good shape; more than being patient and loving as I raise my children. More than maintaining a spotless home. More than being the best wife. I want to be the kind of woman that God would have me be.
I realize that a lot of the things, maybe even all of them, I listed are in line with being a Woman of God. My problem is that I had taken Him out of the picture and was trying to do it all myself. Naturally, I wasn't succeeding. Thankfully, through Jesus Christ, I have an opportunity to begin again today.
This year, my number one priority is to build a strong relationship with my Heavenly Father and with my Savior, Jesus Christ.
I will do this by:
Saying my prayers every morning, first thing.
Reading my scriptures/Sunday lessons daily.
I have other goals, which I will list below, but this is going to be my major focus. I need to have that relationship as a strong one in my life so that I can be the best Me that He knows I can be.
Goals:
1. Build a Strong Relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior through prayer and scripture study.
2. Lose my last 20 lbs and adopt a more healthy lifestyle.
3. Strengthen my relationship with my husband by communicating more effectively and going to the temple.
4. Strengthen my relationship with my children by turning off noise and spending more time with them.
5. Incorporate a housekeeping schedule into my life.
I love that you want to reach your goals with the help of our Savior. Such a great perspective! I have had a really rough trial of faith this past year, and I'm starting around square one. One thing that helps me stay close to my Heavenly Father is keeping Him in mind as a good friend. I will frequently try to think of Him personally in my life, as to how He fits into it and how I want Him to fit into it. I'm gearing up to apply for graduate school, and I've tried to keep in mind how Heavenly Father would view my decision, and the kinds of things He'd say to me. It helps me to give myself a lot more patience and leeway. We are all striving to be that great woman, mom, and wife, but realizing that we are doing really well already helps us to want to strive even more to be better.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a fantastic lady Meagan. I have loved getting to know the "adult" and "mom" you. You fit so well into what I knew of you in High School, but with a bit more maturity and confidence!