2014 Family Goals

I believe that goals are motivational tools that help us to grow into our potential, and they help us improve areas of our lives that need strengthening.  Our family worked on our individual goals at the first Family Home Evening in January. We reported to each other what our 2013 goals were, and if we were successful at accomplishing them or not. Then we all spent time thinking and writing down new goals for ourselves for 2014. Here's the list of our family members, reports of last year's goals, and what our new goals are:


KALA
I already listed my 2013 goals report in a previous blog post, click HERE to see that reference.

Jan. 2013

My 2014 categorized goals are:
1. PERSONAL: Do at least 10 blog posts a month
2. SPIRITUAL: Go to the temple 6 times
3. EDUCATIONAL: Complete 25 university credits
4. MARRIAGE: Go on a date with Josh once a month
5. PHYSICAL: Exercise every week
6. FINANCIAL: Pay off my credit card
7. SOCIAL: Do a random act of kindness once a month


JOSH
These were his 2013 goals:
1. Write in journal once a week - fail
2. Learn Spanish - fail (He bought a book to help teach himself the language, but never took the time to read it.)
3. Lose 2 inches off waist - fail (He does a lot better with this goal during the summer, but never fully reached the 2 inch mark.)
4. Do service every day - He is always doing service for our family and for others, but he didn't document this, so he's not sure if he did something every single day.

Oct. 2013

His 2014 goals:
1. Get at least 50% Home Teaching done this year.
2. Pay off car and credit card.
3. Get weight under 200 lbs.
4. Read Old Testament
5. Climb at least 1 mountain
6. Get to a 20 handicap or less
7. Break our horse Mia to ride
8. Spend one-on-one time with boys each month


AMMON
His 2013 goal report:
1. Pay attention to speakers in Sacrament Meeting at church - achieved
2. Get straight A's in school - achieved
3. Don't hurt brothers - failed
4. Beat my mile record - achieved
5. Stay in shape all year - he said he failed this one, but I think he achieved it. He had basketball, track, changed pipe, and ran cross country, so he was physically fit during each season of the year.
6. Earn Eagle in scouts - achieved
7. Buy gaming system - achieved

May 2013

His 2014 goals (the biggest list of any of us!):
1. Get straight A's in school.
2. Write in my journal at least once a week
3. Beat my lowest score at golf
4. Don't hurt my brothers more than once a week
5. Teach at least 4 lessons in Young Men's at church
6. Be able to play at least 10 hymns on the piano
7. Save $2,000 and spend less than $500
8. Play with the extras in Men's Golf League twice a month in summer
9. Do a service for someone every day
10. Be the 3rd runner on the cross country team


JONAH
His 2013 Goals report:
1. Be reverent in Sacrament Meeting at church - achieved
2. Don't rock chair at school - achieved
3. Do a cartwheel - achieved (it's not a pretty one, but he can do it)
4. Write in journal once a month - failed
5. Earn Bear badge in scouts - achieved
6. Do service for 1 family member every day - failed (but he helped me a LOT and was happy to serve when asked, so I don't think this was really a failure)

Oct. 2013

His 2014 Goals:
1. SCHOOL: Earn AR Goal (Accelerated Reading) every quarter
2. HOME: Play less than 2 hours a day on video games
3. FAMILY: Don't call brothers names
4. CHURCH: Actually sing in primary
5. CHURCH: Pay attention in Sacrament meeting and Primary class
6. PHYSICAL: Exercise 5 days a week


MICAH
His 2013 Goals report:
1. Listen in Primary class - {mostly} achieved (there were several occasions where he had to be reminded to listen!)
2. Write more neatly - achieved
3. Do a walking handstand - achieved
4. Read 50 books by the end of 3rd grade - {mostly} achieved. He took AR tests on almost 40 books, and he could've read more that he didn't take tests on, but he couldn't remember.
5. Don't be physically mean to brothers - failed
6. Do service every day - failed

July 2013

His 2014 Goals:

1. Don't name call
2. Listen in Sacrament meeting and Primary class
3. Read at least 2 books a month
4. Save $200
5. Get all A's in school
6. Don't say "freaking" or "frick"
7. Exercise 2 times a week


KANYON
His 2013 Goals report:
1. Don't bang head at school - achieved
2. Don't pee the bed - failed
3. Do chores alone - {mostly} achieved (he still needs help & motivation cleaning his room and doing his laundry, but can do the chores for the living spaces in the home by himself)
4. Write last name - achieved
5. Don't cry about having to go to church - achieved
6. Don't hit brothers - failed

Aug. 2013

His 2014 Goals:
1. Don't be mean at school
2. Brush my teeth every night
3. Get ready by myself every morning
4. Weed garden row by myself
(This was the first year that he's ever come up with his goals all by himself, and he even wrote them down by himself. I was so impressed!!)

In addition to individual goals, I had a thought come to me that we needed to work on family goals this year as well. When we went to church in Stanley at the end of December, several inspiring thoughts entered my mind about what we needed to work on together in the coming year in order to have a more Christ-centered home. So, I proposed the ideas to the rest of the family, and they agreed to help work together on the goals.

Oct. 2013

FAMILY GOAL #1: Finish reading the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. In order to obtain this goal, we decided to read together every weekday night instead of at just once a week at Family Home Evening.

FAMILY GOAL #2: Have family prayer and  family scripture study every weekday night (this is in conjunction with the first goal). Basically, we've only been doing this at Family Home Evening on Monday nights, so this is building on a current habit.

FAMILY GOAL #3: Have a lesson from the "Preach my Gospel" manual at every Family Home Evening. Currently, our Family Home Evening's consist of scripture reading, family prayer, playing a game, and eating dessert. For years, we have gradually added or changed items to our weekly family nights. In fact, I remember when we didn't even used to have Family Home Evening, so as our boys have gotten older, we progress each year by adding age-appropriate learning activities for them during this family together time.