I am so excited about this! I have had New Years Resolutions on my mind for a while, for obvious reasons! :) I have been thinking about the way they are viewed. How most people find them "cliche" even steer away because most people believe they are actually doomed to fail. I hate to admit that I may have fallen slightly into that category. That was, until last year......
Deirdre Eastman Davis is a dear friend of mine. We went to High School together. I remember watching her in awe, a lot. I don't think she really knew how much she inspired me then. I have tried a great deal to make sure she knows now! I remember her kindness to everyone and her quick smile the most. I remember how when she talked to you she had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in her life. She made everyone feel that way. She was confident in a way that made her always reach out to help others. She never let a fear of rejection stop her from reaching out to befriend someone that could really use a friend. Something that I am afraid stopped me many times. Sadly.
Over a year ago I found her again. Well, I found her through her blog. I was so excited! I had a blast reading through her adventures....believe me, there are many! :) No one I know has more passion for adventure and life than Dre! I love it! I love that everytime I read her blog I feel uplifted, inspired and motivated to live life and my beliefs with more passion. Set higher goals for myself and always believe they are possible. That's just one of the things I love about her!
So I had to share her with you! Last year she posted her New Years Resolutions. I remember reading them with "Vacation to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Cruise or New Zealand", "Dre gets a week to go somewhere: San Diego, Utah or Oregon" and "Adoption or Invitro" among the list of things to "look forward to". Watching her accomplish these things and post about them all year was amazing. In fact, Mrs. Dre Davis is 17 weeks pregnant with a sweet baby girl that has been prayed for for a LONG time!
Anyway, let me can it and hand her over to you! I can't wait to see what she inspires in each of you!
{Deirdre, Drew & Ashton Davis}
"Experts say that you can set a new habit in twenty-one days!”
Every New Year I love reflecting on the past year and seeing what I have accomplished and how the Lord has blessed my life. I love reflecting on the New Year and I love to set goals. I try to set goals in these areas (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual), I love setting individual goals, marriage goals, family goals and extended family and friendship goals. I like writing them down, making a list and putting it in a place where I can see those goals often. Some of my goals require charts where I mark off to see my progress. Some goals I give myself a reward for accomplishing them to help motivate me. Some goals require the support from my husband and friends, so I tell others about them to be accountable.
One of my favorite mottos is Live with Passion, Live Dreaming, than MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE ARE THE ONES TO MAKE OUR GOALS A REALITY. My goals mainly center on creating and maintaining relationships with the Lord, with my husband, with family and friends and my children - - - these goals require remembering special holidays, events and times of year to celebrate. My husband and I also have a weekly family counsel to return and report how we are doing with certain goals within our marriage.
One thing my husband and I do every year is sit down on Jan 1st and plan out the entire year. We discuss things we would like to do as a couple, which sometimes include every 3 month mini moons (short getaways), our anniversary, and family vacations. The only way these things happen is planning. We know what we want to do at the beginning of the year and so we are able to budget and plan for these special events. Nothing ever happens when things are short termed planned.
Some of the things I feel strong about are taking time for yourself, nurturing yourself and taking time for your marriage and nurturing your marriage, and taking time for your family and nurturing your family. Growing up my family always traveled, we took such fun road trips and those are the memories I have. I knew when I had a family of my own I would make time and sacrifice in other areas in order to make this happen. Andrew and I started early on planning a family vacation every year and we set a goal to learn something new or try something new (a sport, a hobby, an adventure, a skill - - whatever it is). This past year Drew wanted to increase his piano skills and I took up running, I actually did a mini triathlon with some friends.
I believe in the power of writing something down, seeing it often, planning for it, than making it happen.
For Example here are Some of My Goals For 2010:
I choose goals for each of the following categories Individual, Marriage, Family, Friends/Extended Family:
1) Individual Goals:
Spiritual (I choose a personal goal that I have been struggling with a weakness, a
temptation, something that has been keeping me from growing more spiritual)
Physical (Run, Walk And Lift Weights 3 times a week)
Intellectual (Look into getting my Master’s Degree, Read and Study African Art
History)
As A Relief Society (Our Women’s Group, in the Latter Day Saint Church) planned some individual goals that I have added to my list:
We were challenged to Be 100% in these 5 areas by Sister Dalton (The Young Women’s General President)
1. Read from the Book of Mormon 5 minutes A Day
2. Pray every day
3. Smile everyday (The spirit isn’t with grumpy people)
4. Encourage a youth once a day (stranger, your own)
5. Do A Random Act of Service Once A Week
2) Marriage Goals:
Work On Companionship Goals (One of them include Focusing on the Positive and
complementing each other daily)
Attending the Temple once a month
Date night once a week
Plan every 3 months a mini moon (a small getaway weekend)
Remember special events (Anniversaries, Birthdays etc and make them special)
Try Something New (Take Dance Classes or Support Drew in taking scuba lessons since I already have mine)
3) Family Goals:
Have Family Home Evening On Monday Nights
Have Family Scripture Study
Have Family Prayer
Focus On Missionary Work
Plan Family Vacations To Create Memories (Work Hard and Play Hard)
Remember Special Events
We were also challenged in our Stake to meet the following goal As A Family:
Work on the Value Virtue– Read the entire Book of Mormon by April 6th 2010
4) Extended Family and Friends
Strengthen Relationships by Remembering Special Events (Writing A Card, Calling,
Emailing, Texting, Send a Gift, Do Random Acts of Kindness)
The idea behind sharing these goals is to not overwhelm but to try and help you to get thinking about areas in your life to set goals. I have always been inspired by the following article when setting goals. Enjoy reading and than set your own goals and watch wonderful things transform in your life as you LIVE WITH PASSION, LIVE DREAMING, THAN YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN. LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST AND STRIVE TO BE YOUR BEST SELF.
I came across this wonderful article on www.lds.org talking about resolutions. I love how Elder Christensen talks about Resolutions and uses the word “Resolve” that is why we use this powerful word, we are resolving with ourselves, those we love and our families to BE BETTER than we were. We are “Resolving” to become perfect Just As The Savior is perfect and it happens one goal, one step at a time . . . . line upon line precept upon precept. The key is to focus on those things that have changed and not the things that didn’t at the end of the year, we just keep moving forward.
Joe J. Christensen, “Resolutions,” Ensign, Dec 1994, 62–67
The Message: I Resolve by Elder Joe J. Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy
Joel J. Christensen Presidency of the seventy, stated, “We must not overlook the power that making good resolutions can have in helping make our lives happier and more successful—regardless of our past performance.
The Savior developed intellectually (in wisdom and knowledge), physically (in stature), socially (in favor with man), and spiritually (in favor with God).
I am convinced that if we make and keep resolutions in those four areas, we will have a happier and more successful new year this coming year and every year for the rest of our lives.
Is There Something From This List We Can Resolve This Year To Be Better At?
1) I resolve to expand my intellectual horizons, to increase in wisdom. This year, commit to read good books throughout your life.
The scriptural commandment to us is to “seek … out of the best books words of wisdom” and “become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people” (D&C 88:118; D&C 90:15; emphasis added). What we choose to read will make a huge difference in the development of our minds and character.
2) I will be resolute in preserving and strengthening my physical health. It is impressive that more than 160 years ago the Lord revealed a health code, the Word of Wisdom, that can make all the difference in how we feel and perform. With good health, we can be happier and more successful. Without it, we are curtailed in almost every way.
Resolve to get an adequately balanced diet. Getting healthful nutrition is another area where it is hard to perform to the level of our knowledge. Follow the do’s in the Word of Wisdom: eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Resolve to get adequate physical exercise. Choose a sport or other vigorous physical exercise consistent with your situation and physical condition, and be regular in pursuing it.
Resolve to get adequate rest. Really follow the counsel of the Lord to “cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated” (D&C 88:124).
“If you are to be successful as a General Authority,” Elder Lee said, “I will give you one piece of advice: Go to bed early and get up early. If you do, your body and mind will become rested, and then, in the quiet of those early morning hours, you will receive more flashes of inspiration and insight than at any other time of the day.”
3) I resolve to be a truer friend and to become more socially acceptable to people of high standards. Learn to be the kind of person with whom others of high standards enjoy associating. We all would like to have more friends.
• Become genuinely interested in other people.
• Smile. (Remember, the Lord commands us to “be of good cheer.”)
• Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about them selves.
• Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
• Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely.
4) I will grow spiritually—I will increase in favor with God. If we are to increase in favor with God, we must resolve to overcome as much as possible the sin of pride.
Remember that even the greatest of all—our Savior and Redeemer, Creator of worlds without number—set the example of humble service by kneeling and washing his disciples’ feet (see John 13:4–16). Where we serve does not matter. How we serve matters a great deal.
Resolve now that you will read from the scriptures daily. President Ezra Taft Benson has repeatedly emphasized that we should read from the Book of Mormon daily.
Resolve to really pray and not just say prayers. There is a big difference here. Learn to pour out the real in-depth feelings of your heart to your Heavenly Father, rather than merely saying the same trite words and phrases that you have become accustomed to using.
Resolve to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” Make Sundays special, and they will help make you special in the sight of the Lord.
Elder Christensen states, “It will take energy and effort to keep the resolutions we have made together. I pray that we will do this so that we can, as Jesus did, increase in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man. In so doing, we will become happier, more successful, and more like the Savior every day for the rest of our lives.”
Let’s Pick One Of These, Sisters, and Resolve To Do Better!
-Deirdre Davis
1 comment:
Wow, Dierdre, you are a inspirational woman. Thank you for all the advice and ideas.
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