goals for fall

It's that time of year again. A new school year is about to begin. Teachers will return to work in just over a week's time. And students will begin a week after that. And as I think about a new school year I am reminded of my own little tradition of setting a few goals for myself. Most people make new year's resolutions on January 1st. I, however, prefer to set new goals with each school year.

Fall is a great time to shine some light on ourselves and reflect.

We can take a good look in the mirror and decide what we love about ourselves and what needs to change. Not only on the outside, but on the inside.

And based on that reflection, we can then set goals for how to better ourselves. It's like opening another door, a new door, in this journey we call life.

After being in summer mode, fall is the perfect time for me to do this. I was reading my post from last year (which you can read here). I love all the goals I set one year ago. I would like to keep up with them but also make a new list. My list this year is more of a family list. One that hubby, little guy, and I can all have a part in.

So here is my list of goals for fall 2010...

1) BEDTIME...I want to set a bedtime for little guy and also one for myself and strictly follow each of them. Proper rest makes ALL the difference!

2) FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT...Little guy is at a great age. He loves to watch movies and watching one is something we can do together as a family every weekend. Popcorn, comfy blankets, and snuggles on the couch, I want it all.

3) DATE NIGHT...Hubby and I have been together for 12 years. Hard to believe it's been that long. The time has gone by so quickly and yet it's hard to remember life before him in it. All relationships require maintenance, especially marriages. You have to find ways to stay connected. Going out to dinner, going for a walk, or just watching a movie together are all ways that can keep husband's and wife's bond strong.

4) DINING OUT...We do an awesome job of not eating out too much. In fact, we are too good. The past year we only ate out a handful of times. And while there's nothing like a home cooked meal, the whole dining experience is something special too. As a family, I want us to dine out once or twice a month. And I'm talking about a nice restaurant, fast food does not count...lol.

5) HOME COOKED WEEKEND BREAKFASTS...Growing up my Mom would often cook breakfast on weekends. There's nothing like it. I want little guy to have that memory too. I must say that this past year I did in fact cook almost every single weekend morning. I'm just putting it in my goals to ensure I keep up the good work. ;)

6) TRIPS FOR LITTLE GUY...I've mentioned before that our malls in Saudi have mini amusement parks in them. Little guy loves to ride rides. I want to make sure I take him on a consistent basis. Once or twice a month is perfect.

7) FOLLOW MONTHLY BUDGET PLAN...Hubby and I have recently sat down and sorted out our finances. We are very blessed to live a comfortable life, but we want to be responsible, especially when thinking about our future. We have made a monthly form in order to track our spending and our savings. Following this will allow us, God-willing, to save some money for our future.

8) TACKLE THE TO-DO LIST...We have quite the list of things to get done around here. Furniture, some minor repairs, decorating, etc. With a monthly budget and a game plan we hope to complete this list within the year.

9) EAT HEALTHIER...I am not good with diets. Depriving myself of things just doesn't work. For me, when I set some healthier guidelines, things work out much better. Although I would love to lose some weight, I do not have the goal to get super skinny. For me, it's not about what size I am or want to be, it's about my health. I want to be healthy.

10) EXERCISE REGULARLY...At least three times a week we want to do some kind of exercise. Walking, Videos, etc. And although this will no doubt over time show results, I want to do this more for my health. I want my heart to stay healthy. I had this great talk with my uncle this summer. He's physically fit, eats healthy, doesn't smoke or drink alcohol and yet he had a heart attack. Thank God he is okay, but it was a wake up call for him. As he sat and told me his story and then about his PT and all the great tips he learned, I thought to myself, this is MY wake up call. None of us can take our health for granted. If there is something we can do to help ourselves, we must do it!

What about you? What are some goals you have for fall?

images via MarthaStewart.com