New Year, New Goals

"The ultimate measure of success is not in achieving goals alone but in the service you render and the progress [achieved]."

-Preach My Gospel

Yesterday was the best day for us to hold our annual couple's new year goal setting activity. We do goals in our house as opposed to resolutions. Not that they are that much different, just that with goals I feel like I am working, reaching towards a better habit; as opposed to resolutions that set a new standard, where one is expected to achieve and maintain it cold turkey. I think the purpose of any New Year's resolution is to change, and when we consistently try to meet a goal, we should see progressive improvement, even if the measure isn't perfectly achieved by the deadline.

Yesterday was the first night that Dr. Chandler had off this year. He was delivering babies at night the week after Christmas, and then moved to working half a month of nights in the hospital, in-patient care, known as Purple/Yellow Team or PYT *insert Michael Jackson background music*

So I guess it was really the ONLY time we could have had a goal planning sesh with each other, but there were other coincidences of the day that proved perfect timing.  We invited the sister missionaries over for dinner of Hawaiian haystacks, and they asked if they could share a message with us about goal setting (and play Book of Mormon baseball with us, which has become a tradition with all the missionaries we've met in the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission). They encouraged us to think about how our goals help the ward to achieve its yearly mission plan, which is something we hadn't considered before and committed to add to our list. Yesterday was also match day for fellowships, which we hope to be enjoying in exactly a year.

Note: Flu shot accessorizing is the result of posting our goals in the bathroom, where we could read them during our morning and evening routines... and apparently that is where stickers are removed.

We started by looking over what we had accomplished in 2016. Some goals we more than exceeded, like Scott's goal to "visit someone" in 2016. We visited with Christie in Dallas, Nelsons and Burrs in Missouri. Medical school friends came to see us in Wisconsin. Scott's family reunion was in California, and in the fall we went with friends and met up with good friends in New York City. I also set a goal for myself, after my sister-in-law reminded me that Heavenly Father can't help guide our path if we don't move our feet, to start fertility testing. Check, check! 

One goal I laughed at yesterday was to spend time with my new friends "at least once a month". In January 2016 when we set those goals, I was still making friends and only occasionally was invited to do something together. Mic drop on that goal! Probably seconds after writing that goal and feeling like it was a stretch to do something once a month, I began attending regular ladies' movie nights and book clubs, not to mention becoming better acquainted with newfound kindred spirits at church and residency pals. I would have never guessed a year ago that I would feel so at home in Wisconsin.

We may not have smashed our other goals to smithereens, but we looked at them daily; and the fact that we had set them meant that we did those things more frequently than we otherwise would have (like my goal to dance more).

Some of my 2017  goals include:
- visiting Door County, Wisconsin
- quality time with my best friend
- being more mindful of the words I use
- toning my arms and tackling inflammation (thanks a lot, Mr. Crohn's!)
- inviting others to come with me to church
- and helping Scott get into a fellowship

I think it will be a good year!