2014, I BELIEVE IN YOUR AWESOMENESS

Maybe it's because I'm a Virgo but there is something I find so exciting about goals. I don't mean a yippee kind of excited either. I mean a I'm-coming-for-you-and-it's-gonna-hurt kind of excited. Like a I'm-going-to-hunt-you-and-when-I-find-you-I'm-going-to-bite-you-and-you're-going-to-bleed-fruition type of feeling. And honestly, I don't really think that's all that excessive.
I have failed many a goal in my time. Have I been too lofty? Certainly. But from those failures I was able to find an understanding of my true capabilities and actual passions. From there I needed to gain some self-acceptance and be okay with the things I want. Super hot bod? Meh. A regular meal plan? Totally.
Last year, as some of you may know, my main goal was to pay off our credit card debt. I had the crazy-eyed desire to get it done but if I were to be completely honest I didn't believe it would happen. We had failed at it so (so!) many times. But something clicked this year and I just refused to relent. Half way through the year I even made our first real budget and built it around get rid of that pain in the ass. We hit our goal before the end of 2013 and it feel goooood. I caught the zero. I even cut up a couple cards for good measure.
I thought I would take a moment to share some of my hopes for this year. I tried to make my goals as tangible as possible so that it would be easier to say when they have been completed. There ain't nothing like adding check mark on a list, am I right?
PROJECTS:
Collect and paint a new set of chairs for the table. They don't have to match but they're not allowed to wobble.
Refinish the dining room table. We found it on Freecycle and it's a solid piece. With a little steel wool and a can of Howard's I may be able to give it a new life.
Create a functional space in the basement. We'll never be able to have a finished basement but it could definitely be more organized and easier to navigate.
Renovate the kitchen. By far our biggest project to date. I get butterflies thinking about it. I could have a faucet that doesn't fall apart when you use it. A space that doesn't always look dirty. Cupboards that close and proper storage space. Pinch me!

SKILLS:
Learn how to use three basic power tools. I think it would be awesome to not be scared of the drill, chop saw and power sander. I'm just hoping I'm not exiting the year with fewer fingers than I started with.
Focus on one creative skill. At the moment I'm thinking embroidery but other times I lean towards something altogether new. My friend Margot teaches rug hooking and that seems really interesting. It's hard to decide on one but that's the whole point of this one.
FINANCIAL:
Save enough money to buy a small camper. I'm hoping for something small that can sleep two adults and two kids. It doesn't have to be road worthy but it definitely wouldn't hurt. It'll be in the driveway for at least a year before we can upgrade to a vehicle that can tow it, but I am totally down for a driveway camper. I joined a Facebook group called Girl Camp Canada and it has me stoked!
Make a will and appoint a power of attorney. To my children I bequeath any shred of sanity that I managed to maintain. Actually, I was reading what Gail Vaz-Oxlade had to say about this and it got me a little panicked. I never really understood what kind of crap not having a will or POA could cause for family members.
Start a savings fund to replace the roof. We don't like indoor rain showers that happen outside of the bathtub. This will actually take just over a year based on our plan.
LIFESTYLE:
Read at least one book a month. Doesn't have to be big. Doesn't have to be life changing. Just has to have non-board pages and lack illustrations of princesses. I used to be such an avid reader and I especially loved CanLit. It felt like such a part of me and I miss it in a very real way. Hopefully I'll find some time to share about each of the books here on the blog.
Try Once a Month Cooking at least once. Maybe in February because it's the shortest month. It seems daunting but I'd like to see how it works. Have any of you tried it before? I have a feeling I could get on board with once a week cooking but I'd like the challenge of a full month just once.
Create and maintain an immunity boosting/support system for myself and the kids (otherwise known as the Constant Cold Crew). Smoothies maybe? Supplements for sure. Less sugar is a given. That one will be harder for me than the kids.
So that's it. There's quite a few there but I believe it's do-able. I'm pretty damn excited about a lot of it and I plan to keep this blog updated when anything noteworthy comes up.
Do you have any big (or small) plans for 2014? I'd love to hear about them (or links to your resolution posts) in the comments below.