My sister, Kristen, and I were sitting around the other night discussing goals for the new year. While it seems cliche, it’s also a milestone for evaluating and re-evaluating what’s effective and what could be tweaked. Kristen is working on outsourcing some of her tasks and mental load. I’d picked the word “adventure” as kind of a lens for my viewpoint this year, but I hadn’t chosen any physical goals.

Then Kristen mentioned this article about going “deeper not wider” with goals when “you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started. You improve skills rather than learning new ones. You consume media you’ve already stockpiled instead of acquiring more.”

you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started

This led to a discussion about re-considering making new New Year’s resolutions and instead finishing the goals we’ve already set for ourselves in the past. I haven’t set any major specific goals for a while, but I can think of tons of small projects and books and to-do items that have been sitting in my mind and on my desk and in my basement for a very long time. Most partly-done but some not even started.

“I’ll get around to it.”

“I wish I had time to finish…”

“Someday I’ll be able to…”

Nope!

So instead of starting new things this year, I’m going to focus on finishing! Within 24 hours after that conversation, I was able to create this list:

• Finish two books I’m in the midst of and maybe finish two more I recently purchased
• Sew valance
• Paint and install barn door
• Finish church membership process
• Schedule child dedication for Cora and Grant
• Update birthday books
• Dye dust ruffle
• Paint island
• Conquer the clothes
• Finish embroidery project
• Finish chair pads

I’m sure I’ll add more as I continue to mosey around and find things. And not all half-done books or projects are worth finishing, so I will certainly evaluate their worthiness of my time and effort. And the kicker is that these are just the things on my in-progress list, not the things on Brett’s list or my list of new projects.

One of the good things about this goal is that it requires very little monetary cost or mental load. I’ve already purchased most of the supplies and have planned out the projects. I just need to finish them!

So Happy New Year (halfway through February)! Starting the finishing is my adventure. What are your resolutions or words of the year? Or what do you need to finish?