8 Goals for 2014

©Ever After Photography

So, I have gotta say that I do not like making new year’s resolutions, they are just so resolute…   Instead I like to set myself goals of what I would like to accomplish.  I know that I will not do every single one of them every single day of the year, and I am not going to beat myself up over that when it happens.  Instead, I am going to start each day fresh knowing what it is I would like to accomplish and knowing at the end of the day that I did my best.   There will be things that may pop up that weren’t a part of the plan, and I have had to teach myself that that is okay.  I am definitely a person that likes to have a plan and a general layout of my day, and I am not always too happy when those plans get shifted, but I am definitely making progress going with the flow when I need to.  It is great when my day goes as planned, but I need to realize that it is okay to be flexible, and I never know,I may end up having a better day than I thought I would.  This is definitely something that I will have to continue to work on throughout my life.

So, on that note, here are some of my goals for 2014:

1) Be more flexible.

It is okay to have my plan, in fact it can be quite beneficial in being able to get everything done, but I need to realize that things will interrupt the plan and it really is not the end of the world.  Just go with how the day flows and enjoy it.  Life is too short, enjoy every minute of it!

2) Do devotionals and read my Bible every day.

This one is absolutely essential to my life.  It is just so very easy to let distractions in life get in the way.  I have had times of being very committed to this and it improves my life and faith immensely.  I am still determining whether it is better to do this first thing in the morning or around bedtime.  I would love to start my day       with God, but I am not a morning person at all, so it makes it difficult for me to get the most out of it. We will just have to see how this year pans out.

3) Exercise at least three times a week.

I really need to get myself in the habit of working out and keeping fit and healthy.  My husband and I are really hoping to start a family this year, and I really need to get my body ready for that! I am determined to give our baby the best possible start :)

4) Edit my pictures daily.

This is going to be huge! I absolutely love taking pictures and I am so far behind in editing them and printing them; I won’t even get started on how behind I am in scrapbooking! So I am going to commit 30 minutes a day to sitting down and editing.  I will not allow myself to do anything else until the timer goes off!

©Ever After Photography

5) Complete a Project 365.

I am going to take at least one picture per day for 365 days. Now I was hoping to start this in January, but it has just been way too crazy of a month so far, so I will start this on February 1st.  I am constantly working on improving my photography skills and this will help immensely! I am so very excited at all I might learn this year.  Plus I will have an entire year of our life documented!

6) Read at least one book a month.

I have had a love of reading since I picked up my first book! The sad thing is that I am letting everything else in life take precedence over it.  I really do love anytime I sit down and open up a book.  I love immersing myself in that world for a little while.  So, in order to make myself devote more time to this, I have decided that I must finish at least one book per month this year. This should be a fairly easy goal to achieve.  Then maybe next year I’ll increase it a little, and before I know it I will be back in the habit of reading everyday and remembering how worth it it is to take the time to do so! The First Book of the year that I am reading: Elsie - Adventures of an Arizona Schoolteacher 1913-1916

7) Blog on a weekly basis.

I am very new in my blogging journey and it took me a while to post my first post.  I think having a goal of posting once a week is achievable and will keep me on track.

8) Stay on top of household chores.

This is a not so fun goal this year, but it really is a necessary one.  I have a full time job right now and I find it is so hard to spend the little amount of time I have at home to clean it.  I get home and cook dinner and just want to relax a bit in the evening.  I just cannot get motivated to do chores.  I will go a few weeks between basic chores that really need to be done at least once a week! So this year I am determined to stay on top of it and keep a clean and organized home.

So there are my top 8 goals for 2014.  Some of them will be easier to achieve than others, but I believe that each one is very important in my life and I really need to keep at it and make each of these a habit that I just always do! I will get there someday ;)

What are some of your goals or resolutions for this year?

Linking up at: The Road to 31

The Beginning

I have been thinking about starting a blog for quite a while now and have finally pulled the trigger!  I love to write and just never seem to take the time to do it. So hopefully this will keep me at it. I am just in wonder of everything around me, so this blog will vary a lot in topics. A few things to look forward to here are photography, scrapbooking, literature, music, movies, adventures in sewing, and more!  This will be a great place to talk about anything and everything in life. 

One of the things I am in wonder of - God's amazing creation!!

Now, anytime that I write, I never know how to begin. I guess the best place to start for a blog about life is to tell you a little bit about myself.  My name is Ashley and I am in my twenties, but probably going on thirty something at least. I graduated from college two years ago with a degree in Criminal Justice and one in International Relations with a minor in Russian studies, although I am using neither in my current job. I work at a coalition to end homelessness in my state, which just goes to show that you never know what God has in store for your life, so just go with it and enjoy every minute of it!  I honestly have no idea what I want to do when I grow up haha. Right now I am just trying to trust God in this, knowing that He has a plan for my life and it is so much better than one I could come up with myself.

In 2009 I met my soulmate, Travis. He is more than I can ever have imagined in a man and I thank God everyday for bringing him into my life.  So how did we meet? We actually were set up on a blind date by my mother and her coworker who was a friend of Travis' from high school.  We both did it as a favor and planned to just meet at a coffee shop, which would have given either of us an easy and quick way out if needed. Our "quick" first date turned into an eight hour date that I never wanted to end. It was one of the best evenings of my life so far. 

©Fresh Look Images

Okay, so now I have to spill the details, I just love remembering our first date!  We met up at a mall and grabbed some coffee. We walked the endless space as we talked and got to know each other. I was truly blown away with how well our conversation went. We were so alike and he was so easy to talk to, there were none of those awkward silences that usually creep up when meeting someone new.  After we finished our coffee neither of us were ready for the date to end. Travis came up with the idea to go to a local city's downtown Christmas display and fair and then go to this amazing German restaurant. We walked around and enjoyed dinner for hours just getting to know one another. Another thing that I found was that he is a perfect gentleman, which is so hard to find these days!  He opened every door for me, got my chair when sitting down, and offered his arm while we walked. It was just perfect. I already knew that I was falling in love with him. After dinner, we decided to go to a movie. A perfect end to a perfect night. I remember thinking after he dropped me off and I was telling my mom about this amazing date, that this was the man I was going to marry. We have now been married for a bit over two years! They have been the best two years of my life.

I could go on and on about my husband and how wonderful he is, so I better stop myself now.  Hopefully this is good for a first post and I keep you coming back.  I look forward to meeting anyone who comes upon my blog.  Please leave your thoughts, advice, introduction, anything! I am brand new to this and look forward to growing in this endeavor.  It’s nice to meet you all!

And I am trying my first link up as well at: