Happy New Year y’all! I hope that this message finds you well and that you’re making the most of this day. I had planned to have this post written first thing this morning, but we woke up a little later than usual and my sweet girl needed some extra Mama time. But I’m here now, tucked away in my little office at the top of the stairs with a cup of coffee, my favorite notebook, and my day planner.  It’s time to sit down and hash out my goals for 2019! I’m ready! Are you??

I am a dreamer by nature, but I also know that thrive on routine and structure; so setting goals is really important to me. Without them, I’ll wander aimlessly tasting a bit of this and a bit of that, without actually accomplishing much at all.  For the past 3 years now, I  have ordered a set of Powersheets from The Cultivate What Matters Shop to help me set and track my goals, and I can honestly say that they’ve been a game changer for me. Lara’s in depth process has really helped me get to the root of my passions and I feel so prepared to take on the year ahead. If you’re looking for a whole lot of inspiration head over there now and join the party!

What to Expect:

When you first open up your Powersheets notebook, you’ll notice right away that it’s so much more than a goal planner. The first 33 pages are a series of introspection prompts designed to help you dig down deep to figure out what really motivates you and what holds you back from accomplishing your true purpose. She also has you breakdown your previous year into Wins and Lessons Learned. This step has been really eye opening for me, because when I look at my prior year this way, I can really see where I need to focus for the coming year.

One of my biggest wins for 2018 was actually starting this blog. I have had it on my to do list for several years now, but I was letting fear keep me from accomplishing my goal. I’m just so grateful that I finally decided to put all of that aside and take the leap! Other big wins for me were consolidating our debt and securing the financing for our upcoming home remodel. We’ve waited 6 long years to finally get to a place where we can make this house our home and it’s so exciting to know that it’s on the slate to happen this year!

Some lessons learned in 2018 came in the health/wellness area. I, like many mamas out there, am guilty of neglecting myself for the sake of everyone else in the family. As a result, I allowed myself to really get run down. In November, I was in so much pain, that I gave in and finally went to see a Chiropractor. I had been experiencing severe neck and shoulder pain as well as severe migraine headaches. Thankfully, I found a doctor that is committed to treating the underlying issues and isn’t out to just find a quick fix. I started seeing them 3x a week for the first month, and really saw noted improvement. Unfortunately, the chaos of the holidays prevented me from making any appointments in December, but I’m really hoping to get back on track in the new year. After a month, I’m already noticing a return of the symptoms, so needless to say- This will be a major goal of mine in 2019!

Ok, so you can definitely see how important the prep work is to setting goals, right? LOL, Well now that I’m done looking back and 2018- I can start to work on What Matters in 2019. So without further ado- here are my goals for this year!

My Word of the Year is : Focused

I have chosen the word Focused this year, because I know deep down that my ultimate goal is to be home with my family someday. These two amazing humans deserve a wife and mama that can give them the care and attention that they deserve, and by being outside of the home most of the time, I’m not really serving them well. This means I will need to be focused in all areas of my life. I’ll need to be focused on building this business so that hopefully one day it will replace my day job’s income. I will need to be focused on my physical and spiritual health- so that I can be the best version of myself that I can for them. I’ll also need to be focused on intentional time with Lela- to build a solid foundation for her life. Finally, I’ll need to be focused on our budget- so that I can ensure that we are able to move forward with our home remodel while continuing to pay down the remainder of our debt.

Here are my actual goals:

Personal:

1. Wellness- Mindfulness, Chiropractic Care + Massage, Follow up with Breast Surgeon, Make appointment with Dermatologist, Preschedule hair appointments.
2. Prayer- Begin each day with a devotional and end each day in prayer/ worship. Find a way to incorporate Lela into my quiet time so that she learns from me.
3. Parenthood- Practice Patience, Be intentional about her learning time, Give her more experiences and less things. Let her explore more- Less Mama’ll Do It. Potty Training!!
4. Reading- Read 12 books (1 per month)
5. Relationships: Date nights twice a month, Girls night once a month, Letters to Friends Project- Once a month

Family:

1. Health: Eat Healthy- Meal Planning, Exercise Regularly- Daily Walks, Bike Rides, etc.
2. Financial Freedom- Create a solid budget, Sell off all unused decor, photo equipment, and clothes. Pay off my car.
3. Quality Time- Create a Family Bucket List, Pray together as a family, Establish healthy daily routines to ensure each family member’s needs are met.
4. Home Remodel- Kitchen + Pantry, Living Room, Mudroom. Cleaning Schedule/Chore Chart
5. Farm- Make final decision about crops for season, Build garden together, Create a business plan and nail down our niche.

Business:

1. Intention- Planning & scheduling posts ahead of time, so that I can be more present during family time.
2. Consistency- Posting regularly, narrowing down my niche, and using my camera to take photos instead of my phone.
3. Growth- Build community, & reach 500 followers by the end of the year
4. Income- Learn more about passive income sources & implement on my blog.
5. Good Will- Find a cause to become involved with, Recognize People within my community doing good works.

Ok my friends, we’re finally done with the easy part! The hard part is actually going out there and accomplishing these goals. I believe that the key to my success will be taking each one of these goals, and breaking them down into smaller action steps and then checking back in on a regular basis to measure progress. That’s where I usually fall off the wagon, so this year, one of my best friends and I have agreed to be each other’s accountability partners. We’ve schedule a monthly coffee date to catch up and go over our progress.

If you’ve still reading this, I can only assume that you’re a planner bee like me.  If so, let’s work together! I’d love to hear all about your goals and how you manage them. Please comment or shoot me an email if you’d like to share your process.