Hello Reader,

Are you as psyched as I am about the fact 2023 starts on a Sunday? It's the beginning of a brand new day, week, month, and year, all rolled into one -- the perfect time for a fresh new start!

The last twelve months flew by fast, didn't they? And before you know it, we'll be saying the same thing about the next twelve.

Want to make the most of the time in between? That's what this week's link list is all about.

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Prayer for the New Year - no better place to start formulating goals than on your knees!
• ​2023 Calendars - take your pick of styles (free monthly pages, year-at-a-glance, etc)
• ​Habit Trackers - these printables can help you establish good habits and ditch bad ones
• ​Bible Reading Plan - this easy plan will help you read through the entire Bible in a year
• ​Resolutions We All Should Make - 10 worthy goals that'll make this year decidedly better
• ​Teach Us to Number Our Days - this coloring page features Psalm 90:12

What I'm reading this week:

I'm just a few chapters into Cal Newport's Deep Work. It's all about reducing distractions and improving focus. The first part of the book discusses why it's so important we learn how to work this way, and the second part of the book offers practical advice for doing so.

Part of the reason I haven't finished this book -- which has been in my "to read" stack for years -- already is that I struggle with distraction far more than I've been willing to admit. But not for long! I'm already beginning to implement changes to how I work based on Newport's research. Stay tuned to learn whether these adjustments move the needle in my level of productivity.

What we're watching this week:

I stayed up entirely too late last night watching The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug with the kids. They've been rewatching the whole series with friends over Christmas break.

While The Lord of the Rings movies did an amazing job following the storyline of the books, the same thing cannot be said of The Hobbit. I might've liked it better had the script writers stuck closer to the original tale.

What we're eating this week:

We're back to cooking meals at home using boxed meal kits. I've been trying out some other companies lately (I'll eventually publish a side-by-side comparison for all the services we've tried), but Hello Fresh is still my favorite in terms of variety of meals, organization of groceries, and ease of preparation. Plus, they're running a great New Year's special that slashes meal prices to make it even more economical.

Progress on last week's goals:

Check. Check. Check. I ✅ marked everything off my to-do list last week except ❌ attending our church's candlelight service on Christmas eve, but I got sick and stayed at home instead (to be close to the trash can 🤮).

Personal goals for this week:

• take two quick trips to visit relatives
• babysit grandkids
• clean out my email inbox
• write thank you notes for Christmas gifts
• make homeschool lesson plans for next 6 weeks

Another question for you:

Are you setting any goals or making resolutions for the new year? Hit reply and tell me about it!