I LOVE NEW YEARS! I love that it is a time of change. It is a time of goal setting, self-improvement, motivation and encouragement. I LOVE that we can sit down and really contemplate our lives. What did I learn this year? What was something hard that I overcame? What is the best thing that happened to me? What should I have done better? The list of questions goes on and on. I love reflecting back and being able to recognize my accomplishments and achievements. I love seeing everything that happened and how I grew from the happy and sad experiences that came my way.
We have a tradition in our family of taking pictures of our New Years Resolutions. These are our’s this year:
Laila will try to overcome her addiction and absolute obsession with oranges:
Tyson is the fitness king and will participate in his first Half Triathlon:
I hope to motivate mom’s around the world:
And as a family we are going to work on something we struggle with:
I heard a lesson once of a teacher who put a gallon jug on a table and filled it up with stones. He asked the class, “Is this jug full?” And the class replied, “Yes.” He then poured a bag of gravel into the gallon jug as it filled the cracks in between the stones and asked the class, “Is this jug full now?” And the class replied, “Yes.” He then poured a bag of sand into the gallon jug as it filled the cracks in between the stones and gravel and asked the class, “Is this jug full now?” This time, the class replied, “We are on to you now! The jug is not full.” The teacher then poured a cup of water into the jug to completely fill the jug in its entirety. The jug was now full.
The teacher asked the class what they thought the purpose of this lesson was. The class replied that there is always free cracks in our lives and we can always find things to fill up that free time. That was when the teacher replied, “No. That is not what the lesson is about. Do you think if we put sand, water and gravel into the jug first, we would have been able to fit the stones into the jug?” The class said “no.”
This lesson teaches us to fill our lives with STONES first. The stones represent what is MOST important. I personally believe that is our families. Our husbands, wives, children, grandparents, cousins and friends. Once we set those priorities, we then can add the gravel, sand and water…if we have time and if we are able. Too often we find ourselves filling our jugs {or lives} with those things that are less important.
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley
I hope as we set our goals for this new year, we will remember to simplify our lives. We don’t need to do EVERYTHING our friends, neighbors, co-workers and sisters do. Focus on something that YOU want to work on. Set a plan. Practice it. Get good at it. And accomplish it. There is no greater feeling than checking that something off your list and I can promise by the end of the year, you will be able to say “I DID IT!” I achieved what I wanted to do. I worked hard at it. And you then will be ready to do it again next year.
As we set goals and resolutions, it is important to keep this in mind. Take a minute this week to set your goals. Set your priorities. Find out what your stones are and make sure they are put in your jug first.
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Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day! 
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