State of Our Union: 2013 Goals

This past weekend we had our yearly goal setting meeting, or as we like to call it the State of Our Union address. It is a fun time to break out of the everyday routine, reflect, celebrate success , and do some planning. I first stumbled upon the idea of a SOOU through Southern Weddings back in the day when we were wedding planning. They have continued to be a source of inspiration both on what love is and how to have a strong marriage.We both spent some time reflecting on the following questions in order to see how we both felt individually and then compare notes.

Circle Back (List 2012 goals and determine progress)
What worked in 2012
What didn’t work in 2012
How we can improve what didn’t work in 2012 for 2013
2013 Financial Goals
How happy we were on a scale of 1 to 10
Why that number was what it was.
Priorities for the new year together (Family goals, couple goals, personal goals, travel ideas, etc.)

After we filled out our questions and brainstormed our individual ideas of what our family goals should be for the year, we met. On Saturday we went to brunch and fleshed it how we felt the past year, what worked, what didn’t work, and what can be improved for the coming year.

Here is a glimpse at our goals for the coming year.:

A glimpse at our 2013 Volpe goals

Formal vacation days together. It doesn’t have to mean going somewhere other than in the community. Of course “true” vacations are part of the goal as well.
Joining a small group last year to focus on our marriage was wonderful. Keeping God at the foundation of our marriage is huge and our goal for the coming year is to continue connecting with a small group and spending more time reading the word.
Systems of organization. This worked really well for us last year. We figured out systems that work for meal planning, grocery shopping, and knowing which clothes to wash/dry/dry clean. We both love that these organization systems helped us stay focused, avoid mistakes, and ultimately stay on budget. Our goal for 2013 is to continue putting into place organization especially as we move.
Some of our new goals revolve around getting connected and engaged in our new neighborhood. 12 weeks until we can begin this process.
101 in 1001 completion before September.