25 Goals for 2011

I am a list maker. Lists help me organize my thoughts and focus my energy and time - if I don't lose them in a stack of paper on my desk or send them through the wash in my pocket, that is. If I am going to approach my days with more intention and spend time on the things that I value, then I should have an idea what some of those things might be. So what better way for a list maker than to create a list? So here it is, a list of 25 goals for 2011:

1. Knit something for each of my children to wear.
2. Plant a vegetable garden this spring/summer.
3. Plant a butterfly garden.
4. Complete my Virginia Master Naturalist certification.
5. Run a 10K in under one hour.
6. Grow seedlings for a portion of the vegetable garden.
7. Scrapbook regularly – paper or electronic (once a month?).
8. Put my craft room into working order.
9. Purge, purge, purge!
10. Write letters via snail mail to my friends and loved ones (once a week?).
11. Teach the big kids to knit.
12. Learn how to sew using my sewing machine.
13. Spend time delving into family history and combining documentation from my family and my husband’s family.
14. Partner with the local elementary school to share environmental education opportunities with the students.
15. Incorporate more handmade gifts into our family and holiday celebrations.
16. Plan ahead and sign the kids up for summer camps that allow them to explore their passions and new things.
17. Create a family mission statement.
18. Volunteer as a family.
19. Explore museums and historical sites around town.
20. Shop at local farmers’ markets regularly throughout the spring and summer.
21. Start nature journaling.
22. Go geocaching and create a local cache.
23. Have our backyard certified as a NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat.
24. Go to the theater with the kids.
25. Train for and participate in my first triathlon.

I've been struggling with this list of goals - notice that they are goals and not resolutions, this may just be semantics, but they feel different to me - for the past couple of weeks and I'm okay with the idea that it may change in some way between now and the end of the year. One of the things that had me tweaking the list time and time again was having things like "Develop/nurture a family culture that embraces whole foods" or "Focus on self-care" in the mix. Worthy and important things for me to focus on, but hard to check off a list. So I did what any self-respected list maker would do, I started a second list. I'm not sure where that list is going, but I'll be sure to share once I figure it out.