A few years ago, I gave up on New Year’s resolutions. They seemed contrived to me, and I didn’t understand the point in creating something that is pretty much a punchline — New Year’s resolutions, as you may well know from all the jokes or personal experience, rarely survive past January. So I did away with New Year’s resolutions.

Instead I began setting goals. Because goals are, clearly, so very different from resolutions.

Danny and I have a handful of goals for 2014. Including these for our personal life:

• Living a more well-rounded, balanced, intentional life.

There are far too many things we spend too much time on (work, anybody?), and far too many things we spend far too little time doing (writing and reading, particularly in my case; exploring and adventuring near home; investing in other people and interacting with people who are willing to invest in us). We want to make a concerted effort to put everything in its proper time and place.

• Cutting back on excessive time-sucks.

I don’t know about you, but I waste a lot of time meandering around the Internet. So this year, I plan to work hard to stay on task when I’m at the computer — then turn the computer off when I’ve finished those tasks.

• Consistently pursuing healthiness.

We’re generally pretty good in a lot of areas, but we get streaky — particularly me, when it comes to exercise (“too busy” cannot always be an excuse!), and both of us when it comes to foods. My plan is to pretty much stick to buying whole foods when I go to the grocery store. And to exercise several times per week, no matter how tired or busy I may be.

Of course we’ve got plenty of goals for our photography this year, too, but that’s a whole other topic in and of itself. Here’s to goals we’ll stick to long after January ends, and a wonderful 2014!

~ Laura