So Begins 2017

2017- another year, another fresh start!

Use it or lose it

After spending 2016 'reading down' my unread books, I want 2017 to focus on the same for games (9) and movies (14).  That should be pretty easy to do, I think . . . as long as I don't buy more stuff this year.  Speaking of . . .

Personal Spending  & Budgeting

A side goal for this year is not buying anything for myself (aside from movie tickets or money received as a gift) until July.  That should give me time to 'use it or lose it,' as described above.

On budgeting, this is the year we get our affairs in order.  I want to develop an effective system to (first) track spending, and (then) to help us plan our spending better.  And, where possible, I want to support small businesses and buy from them before the bigger chains.

Fitness

I was happy with my 2016 workout totals, so they stay about the same, with slight improvement being the goal:

120 runs for 250 miles, 120 gym workouts

The big (new) goal here is stretching: I should do dedicated stretching/yoga sessions 6 times a week.

Nutrition

Here's another area that needs a TON of improvement.  I want to lose 15 lbs this year, and as I learned last year, it's not just about working out more- eating less/better is equally (if not more) important.

Reading

I plan to read 52 books this year, with a focus on books that:
1) I own but haven't read yet (that's only 5)
2) I own but haven't read in 10+ years (to see if they're worth keeping)

Those goals (which won't take long) aside, I want to make some progress on classic literature and religion, as this year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

Spiritual

I need to be in a better daily routine for both prayer and scripture.  This year, I also want to start daily devotionals (with my family)- something that should be a challenge given their ages, but has merit.

Parenting

Not sure how best to do this, but being more patient/gentle with the children, and giving them more attention, is on the docket.

Conclusion

Here's to success in 2017!