What does this song mean? For my whole life I don't know what this song means.

I have set some goals for myself for the New Year. I am reluctant to call them resolutions because in my experience, most people break their New Years resolutions. I prefer to consider them to be "Personal goals set that coincidentally coincide with a new year." That makes me feel a little better.

1. To clean and organize my basement, garage, closet and Cameron's room. Typing those 11 words made me feel sooooo tired. I just hate thinking about those 4 areas of my home. They are all disasters. I am unorganized and busy. In addition, I have inherited a disorder from my father called "Ballard cleaning." With this disorder, if you need to put something away and you do so and can't see said item anymore then it is put away and organized. This could include putting item under the couch, in the couch cushion, shoved in the cupboard, under any of the beds or thrown in the garage or down the basement stairs. My husband has been trying to cure this disorder for 13 years and has had no luck. Maybe this is the year I can lick it!

2. To cultivate a lovely yard and flower garden. I am pleased to have a goal that I can procrastinate for 4 months at least. It doesn't require immediate attention.

3. To always be honest. President Medley gave a great lesson on temple attendance on Sunday in which he listed each question asked during a recommend interview. I have chosen honesty as one which I can most improve upon. My own husband's talk reminded me to be "steadfast and immovable" in this principle.

4. To attend the temple every other week. I know I can do this and I know it will make me a better person.

5. To find something that I can do to make money for my family. I'm not sure about this one yet. I don't want to work outside the home but I want to contribute to our family's income. I am not sure if I could make something and sell it or if there is something else for me to do. I really want to do this though. It is going to take a lot more thought on my part.

6. To write the children's book that is rattling around in my head. Maybe this is the answer to #5.

7. To not snap at nor be impatient with my children. As I type this, Spencer is standing next to me asking me the same question over and and over and over again and it is driving me crazy! However, I am not going to snap. I will calmly help him with his issue of great importance. This is going to take some practice!

8. To read all the RS Lessons before class and not just the ones I have to teach.

9. To recycle. I know have really missed the boat on this one. Here's my lame excuse for not caring about Mother Earth...I don't have a convenient spot to hold my recyclables. I am going to figure out how to make this work in my life.

I know you are thinking..."Um, hello? Where's the weight loss goal?" *sigh* I have been overweight for so long that I am at a point in my life now where I don't believe that I could lose weight. My attitude is "why bother?" I know all the answers: because you'll be healthier, because you'll live longer, because you'll feel better, etc... I just don't think I can do it. Am I happy so overweight? I'm not. But I have resigned myself to it. So I'm not even setting it as a goal. I don't want to set a goal that I'm sure to fail.

I feel pretty positive that I can achieve these nine goals that I have set for myself. Not only will the achievement of them help me personally, but they will also benefit my family, friends and the world around me.