Goals galore

‘Tis the season for making goals. Back in early December, before plates of delicious goodies began appearing at our doorstep, Mark and I decided to set some general goals to keep treats to a minimum. We were feeling confident in our ability to resist overcooked gingerbread cookies and divinity and cherry chocolates, so we set the goal to “be moderate” in our treat eating. A few weeks later, after neighbor treats started pouring in and cranking up my blood sugar levels, we had to opt for a more specific goal: “Do not get a Costco membership in order to buy butter and sugar in bulk.” But once we succumbed and bought our first candy thermometer, it all went downhill from there.

Interestingly enough, we were asked to speak in church on goals. Mark and I have a super long history with making goals. In 2007 there was Comprehensive Health Reform. In 2008 there was Pregnancy for me, which meant that if anyone tried to tell me to eat veggies they would get locked out of the house. This last year Mark outdid himself with new spreadsheets every couple of weeks which were entitled “Discipline 101” (then 102, 201, 202, all the way until 401/402: The Senior Year, after which, apparently, we were supposed to graduate, but unfortunately I still never went to bed at 10:30, so I think I flunked out).

Naturally, Mark and I love New Year’s Resolutions. In case you are a New Year’s Scrooge/Grinch (aka Goal Hater), think about this quote, which sums up my perspective. "Goals lend purpose and direction to our living. They excite imagination and stir interest, and they generate a strength of anticipation which can rally all the powers of one's soul." (source)

And speaking of exciting the imagination, I don’t think I have ever heard of more imaginative goals than those of my youngest sister, Heather. Her goals are legendary in our family.

When Hez was in 2^nd grade, her class made headbands out of yarn for their Thanksgiving presentation. Following the program for which the headbands were intended, Heather decided she would make a goal to never take off her bright purple headband. And she didn’t. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into a few months. Our family was shocked at the resolve of this 8-year-old, and a little uncomfortable with the state of the purple headband, which didn’t come off, even in the shower! Finally some months later, we were able to convince her to swap her headband for a necklace. (And when I say we, I mean “I,” but when Heather and I were talking about this last week she told me that I represented Satan in this example. That’s why I said “we”—so I could share the blame a little...And since she called me Satan, click here to see a picture of her loom.)

With the abandonment of her purple headband goal, Heather decided to fill the void with a new goal: no eating cheese. Just so you know, in addition to buying sugar and butter in bulk, my family always buys cheese in bulk. This goal lasted just a weekend (thankfully).

When my dad brought us all home little prayer rugs from Turkey, Heather made a goal to pray on it every night. And with a very few exceptions, she kept this goal for THIRTEEN years and is still going. (I think her prayer rug should have a passport for all the places it has been.) It was certainly not surprising to me to find that three years ago Heather made a goal to read her scriptures every day and she’s still going strong.

So what I’m trying to say is, I think goal-making runs in my blood. Goals excite and inspire me. And maybe, someday, I will get to bed by 10:30 at least two times in a row. And that might be the day I change my blog name to Nine o’clock Musings and knit myself a purple headband (with Heather’s help, of course), and perhaps even celebrate with some treats. Unless that’s against Discipline 501. In which case I will probably have to eat two veggies before eating the treat.