2018 Goals

There is something fresh and new about the New Year. One tends to reflect, dream and hope. One of my favorite goal master minds, Lara Casey swears there is nothing special about starting on January 1st and while that is true you definitely do not need to wait til January 1, 2019 to make some of your goals happen if you missed the boat this New Year’s Day, I do think there is something almost magical about a new year and a fresh start. Today I am going to share with you my goals for 2018 and a sneak peak into my Powersheets.I prefer goals over resolutions. I don’t know why. There is no technical difference really, just the name. My cousin and I also are doing a combined 31×31 list. I will share those later. Now there is some overlap between the two list or some to build on after our 31st birthdays mid year.

My word for the year is healing- the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. Because 2017 left me feeling broken and defeated and a year from now I want to be healthy and whole.

1- Spiritual Healthy: Closer more connected to God and rooted in faith. Peace. Less worry and anxiousness.

Why: Overall health and well-being starts here. Its no secret 2017 was a difficult year in this area. I felt defeated, lost, alone and unwelcome. But I’m going to give pursuing a relationship a try again before I completely give up. Reoccurring theme you will notice in my why: I can not love my people if I am unwell and to reduce my anxiety and worry. Decreasing my anxiety is a huge goal of mine for this year and one I certainly can not do alone.

Action Steps: Pray using my prayer journal. Read the Bible chronologically. Journal. Read relevant, supplemental books.

2- Physically Healthy: Increased flexibility, this is an important one of mine that I really want to focus on. Decreased fat. Better nutrition. More water. Vitamins.

Why: I can not love my people well if I am unwell myself.

Action Steps: Stretch daily, take photos of stretching to track progress. Track food and water intake. Exercise consistently. Maintenance doctor and dental appointments.

3- Mentally/Emotionally Healthy: Decreased anxiety and worry. Refill my reserve tank. Have the ability to continue thrive in good times and most importantly in hard times.

Why: to deal with everyday stresses and crisis. Again to be able to love my people and the world well, I have to be well. in 2017 I did a poor job of taking care of others, something I pride myself and find joy in, simply because I was so depleted and used up from just trying to survive that I have nothing left to give. Decrease/eliminate anxiety.

Action Steps: See counselor(currently do but maybe pick back up frequency). Journal. Meditate daily. Make a list of simple joys and do them aka find joy in the mundane.

4- Strengthened relationship with Ryan: This will never not be one of my goals.

Why: There  is in my opinion always room to build, improve and grow your relationship with your significant other.

Action Steps: Monthly date nights. Continue to travel together. Ask for constructive criticism to grow and love him the way he needs. Communicate my feelings effectively even anxieties and fears.

5- Healthier, stronger relationships with family: Again always room for improvement and loving people well. One particular area I want to work on is boundaries and the control other people’s emotions and actions have over my emotions and mental well-being. This does not really have anything to do with other people’s actions, feelings and thoughts  but more my own reactions to other people’s actions and choices.

Why: Often times after a disagreement or rough spot or someone I love being unhappy/having a hard time, I am derailed for DAYS! I feel tired/sick/sad/helpless and it messes with my mental and physical health. Even if the other parties have moved on and having the time of their lives.

Action Steps: Journal my feelings to track them. Release control. Worry less. Set expectations appropriately. Seek expert counsel. See my counselor maybe on a more regular bases than the last few months. Read books on the subject.

6- Healthy finances: have $xxx in savings at the ends of 2018. Plan for travel, gifts, unexpected expenses, home improvements and bills better.

Why: Having a strong, healthy transparent financial tracking and goals brings me peace and I want to steward our money well as be able to be a good example for others, Em and our maybe children.

Action Steps: Track all spending. Budget better. Save every month. Decrease spending on things we don’t need, except travel we always need that.

7- Healthy, invested friendships: Strengthen and grow my friend circle.

Why: I learned this year your friend tribe is life. Shauna Niequist and Jen Hatmaker write about their friend tribe and for years it felt impossible, far away and unobtainable. But if it want it I can have it. I just have to work for it and put in the effort.

Actions Steps: Be vulnerable. Accept help. Give help. Invest in existing friendships. Love others well. Make the effort to be available and give as much as possible. Check in weekly with friends. Send snail mail care packages monthly to at least one person.

8- Make a life-giving home/Be a homemaker:  Declutter. Simplify. Fill our home with favorite things. Create a home of life.

Why: have our home be a place of refuge and strength and love for us and our guest. I want to create a place that people are drawn to, a place of comfort and acceptance, a place to be loved and cherished.

Action Steps: Get rid of crap. Minimal. Create a space of our favorite things. Celebrate holidays and small things with great love and joy. Welcome with arms and hearts wide open.

I would like to add some goal for my Beautycounter business and for my blog, but for now I am focusing on these 8 goals. I can always add, change, adjust during the season goal refreshes. I don’t want to overwhelm or set myself up for failure trying to do too much at once.

January Tending List

I tear out my tending list and store in the from of my Simplified Planner. I carry it with me everywhere and the entire Powersheets book and my planner would be to much. I do take all of them on trips where I think I will have time to work on them.

I also want to encourage you, do not be intimidated by the prep work. It’s ok to have blank pages. I COULD NOT EVEN go here this week, so I didn’t. Do not stop working on your goals just because you have not filled in every space on the prep work. I do want to take time in the next month to pause and reflect when I have time to feel all the feelings about this.