2018 goals

Happy New Year, friends! Isn’t it marvelous that we’re all here for another year? :) Another year to learn and grow and move closer to the people we want to be.

Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I worry that my goals aren’t big enough or different enough or important enough. Sometimes I worry that I never change, that I’m always just working on variations of the same things.

And you know what? There’s some truth in that. One of the greatest blessings of my life is that I have known who I am and what I want from a young age. I have great confidence in what matters to me and what does not.

You know how I’ve known my spirit age is 36 from the time of about 16? That understanding has given me the freedom to unapologetically craft the life I’ve been envisioning all along. So no, I generally don’t set goals like running a marathon, founding a charity, or selling my possessions and traveling the world at the beginning of the year. I’m not against “big” goals by any means, and if one becomes meaningful to me in the future, I will gladly take it on.

It’s just that in my life, the big things are the little things. I know who I want to be at 40 and 60 and 80. I might not know all the specifics (who knew I’d end up a Southerner??), but I have the general outline — enough to continue filling it in, little by little.

So here we go! Another year of adding color and dimension to this marvelous life. With that, I’m so happy to share my four 2018 focal areas…

Yes, focal areas, not goals! These are my areas of focus for this year, and I’ll flesh them out with specific, smaller projects and goals each month as I work through my PowerSheets.

1. Hear and do the Word. See and respond to needs. Observe the Sabbath. Listen to God. Be at home at church. Teach my daughter about God’s love.
Why? 2017 was a year of soaking in wisdom, and now I’m ready to put what I’ve learned into action, because that is what He desires for me. James 1:22-25 is my verse here.
How I will feel at the end of this year having made progress on this goal: Proud I spent time on what matters most. Likely humbled.
How I will celebrate making progress on this goal: I will record the highlights in my Life List as a record of His faithfulness.

2. Refine our home. Evolve our color scheme. Carve out distinct areas. Find new solutions for our changing needs.
Why? Our home is the arena for learning, growth, and unconditional love, and nothing matters more than love. If we can make it better, we should.
How I will feel at the end of this year having made progress on this goal: We will feel more at home in our home, content, and reminded of what matters most.
How I will celebrate making progress on this goal: A new home tour on Em for Marvelous!! :)

3. Fuel my body. Revolutionize meal planning. A fruit or veg with every meal. Less sugar. More water.
Why? I only get one and I want it to be capable of doing everything I ask it to.
How I will feel at the end of this year having made progress on this goal: Proud of myself for doing hard things and for strengthening my good choices muscle!
How I will celebrate making progress on this goal: I’ll treat myself to fruit along the way and we’ll celebrate with a delicious feast on NYE.

4. Build our legacy. Strengthen or set habits and rhythms. Record memories. Equip others. Invest in my people.
Why? I am blessed to be a blessing. I have been given much, and it is mine to be given away. I want to spend time on things that last longer than me.
How I will feel at the end of this year having made progress on this goal: Like things are on the right track but there is still more to do!
How I will celebrate making progress on this goal: Maybe a new piece of artwork for our home?

That last one’s a little vague, but you know what? The important thing is that it works for me :) And I look forward to fleshing out all of these more over the coming weeks and months!

And with that, here are my goals for January:
— Set a date for our spring camping trip
— File all paperwork in our blue room
— Make our “areas to be purged” list
— Tackle two areas I already know need help: our closet shelf and pantry
— Walk our home with John and make a list of needs and wants, then rank them
— Browse through The Lifegiving Home online resources (now that I’ve finished the book – so good!!)
— Write June a note on her second birthday (continuing a tradition)
— Set up my Life List
— Order our 2017 photos from Social Print Studio
— Confirm my EFM posting plans for January
— Order my Fruit of the Spirit canvas

There are few things I love more than reading about other’s goals! (Second only to reading other people’s Christmas cards, haha!) If you’ve posted your goals somewhere, I’d love to see – or just drop them in the comments! I can’t wait to take a peek and cheer you on.

Vision board sources, clockwise from top left: little girl, beautiful home, fruit, sailboat, kitchen table, soup, back steps, PB&J, fruits of the spirit

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