I have a love/hate relationship with goals – especially goals for the new year. (otherwise known as New Year’s Resolutions? Yeah…those things.)
I love making them and thinking about what I could accomplish in the new year.
I hate hate hate it when I come to the end of the year and see goals I miserably failed to accomplish.
Talk about discouraging.
But, there is this nice little quote that goes like this: “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” (Zig Ziglar)
One thing I use to bring energy and focus in my life is to make goals for myself.
Measurable, attainable (but not easily attainable – there’s a fine balance), and profitable goals.
One of my goals for 2011 is to read 1 book per month. I started to make a list of which books I want to read this year. Some of these I don’t even own yet. (yikes!) But I’m hoping to earn some giftcards to amazon through swagbucks so that I’ll be able to purchase them BEFORE I have to start reading them. 😉
I am thinking about posting a summary of each book after I read it. I’m not sure if I will, though, because I’m not an “official book reviewer.” Sometimes my attention span is about as long as -. Yes, as long as that small line back there. So, sometimes I read a book, space out for a while, and don’t remember a thing I’ve read from the past 2 pages. WIth that disclaimer, I’m sure you are all dying for me to write book revies, huh? 🙂
Here is the long-awaited book list of 2011:
- Don’t Make Me Count to Three
- Teach Them Diligently
- Womanly Dominion
- Twelve Extraordinary Women
- Total Money Makeover
- Simplify Your Life
- Simplify Your Time
- Protecting Your Child Through Prayer
- There’s also another book my husband and I are reading together…If you want a good husband/wife book to read, contact me and I’ll give you the book information.
- The Bible – I’m following a “through-the-Bible-in-a-year” plan, so technically I won’t be reading this in one month. But I’m still counting it. 🙂
I still need to come up with 2 more books. If you have any book suggestions, I would definitely LOVE to have them. I’ve heard some good things about The Hidden Art of Homemaking and Treasuring God in Our Traditions, so those are two options if I can’t think of anything else to read. 😉
So, what about you? Do you make new year’s resolutions?
Happy Weekend!!
~Christa 🙂
Comments
22 responses to “2011 Book List”
Love the book list, Christa! One book that’s on my list for this year is Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. One of my favorites (if you haven’t read it before) is Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney. It is very short–so it keeps your attention, and you can cross of one book on your list without much effort! Although the application of the material is worth a lifetime of attention…. love you Christa!
highly recommend Total Money Makeover . . . not so sure about womanly dominion!!
haha, thanks honey 😉
Oooohhh, thanks! I have read Shopping for Time. It is a good one! I’ll look into Choosing Gratitude…thanks for the suggestion!!
I haven’t read the Total Money Makeover, but we did take his Financial Peace class, so I assume it is similar. If so, it is very, very helpful! I am currently reading a Beth Moore book called “So Long Insecurity” that I am learning alot from. Love this goal! I might have to “borrow” this goal for myself!
Hurray, more books to add to my list! I hadn’t heard of “Protecting Your Child through Prayer.” I read “Treasuring God in Our Traditions” by Noel Piper last month. I highly recommend it, so you should add it to your list. 🙂 (You can borrow if you want.) And I’m slogging through “Womanly Dominion”, slogging only because I am reading too many books at once. Great so far. And I think book reviews are a great idea! Keep up the good work! 🙂
P.S. I just thought of 2 others that are on my list of things to read: “A Mother’s Heart” by Jean Fleming and “Big Truths for Young Hearts” by Bruce Ware (devotional with kids). They come highly recommended by people who are doing a great job raising their kids. 🙂
OK, one more recommendation (I hope!), to be used as reference: “Honey for a Child’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt. Noel Piper recommended this. Since I’m always looking for more favorite children’s books, I thought this would be a good resource to guide my choosing. I’ve barely started it, but so far it’s great!
Wow – that sounds like a great title to read! Go ahead and borrow the goal!
Aw, what a cute title for a children’s book! Sounds kinda like a take off of that overdone “chicken soup for the ______ soul” series. 😉 hehehe
That’s a great list! “Don’t make me count to three” is next on my list too. One book that Tim and I read every year together is “Reforming Marriage” by Doug Wilson. The author has serious issues now, but this book is amazing and gospel centered. We read it while engaged (and every year since), and it is packed with truth.
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It looks like you are not into novels. I would have loved to see some of them in this list.
By the way, a little secret: I haven’t read any of these books. I have always wanted to read all the books in the world, but I never get time. What a nice excuse! LOL
Great list! I also have a book list (2 years, and at the rate I am moving, becoming less achievable) on my secondary blog. http://www.mydayzerochallenge.blogspot.com. I just started reading along with the SITS bookclub this month and they are reading Exposure: A Novel, for July. Looks like it will be a fun read.
Joining you from #31DBBB
To me summer reading is all about leisure reading. I think your last two books should be decadent indulgences. A Sophie Kinsella which is always fun. Lauren Willig for great mystery during Regency era Europe.
Looking for a trip to Egypt: try Michelle Moran Nefertiti is awesome and so is Heretic Queen. Great historical fiction here too.
Fantasy: Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia..Kids books..maybe but great reads just the same and incredibly fast reads too.
Ancient Rome is great place to be: The Centurion’s Wife by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn is great Christina Fiction and it’s the first book in a series. The cover art on all 3 books are just wonderful.
Thanks so much for the ideas, Christina! I love leisure reading too and am hoping to read the Chronicles of Narnia either this or next year!
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